


Coming Decisions

by fergus80



Category: Dark Angel
Genre: F/M, Season 3
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-08
Updated: 2015-03-08
Packaged: 2018-03-16 21:05:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 67,528
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3502730
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fergus80/pseuds/fergus80
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Set after Freak Nation. A miss understanding turns into some truth telling and decision making for our transgenic pair.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Coming Decisions

Alec watched the flag swirling in the wind from the rooftop overlooking the rest of Terminal City. Looking down he grinned at the little bundle in Gem’s arms. The baby’s hands reaching out as it yawned. He started to reach out to let the baby grasp at one of his fingers, but hissed quietly as the muscle in his shoulder objected to the movement.

Gem noticed the wince, “How’s the shoulder?” She asked, moving her own finger up for the baby to hold onto. 

He smiled back at her concern, “Awh, it’s fine. No big deal. Just tense from the fast healing process.” She nodded back in total understanding. 

His eyes then moved over to the two standing next to him and his stomach almost lurched at the site of the latex gloved hand holding onto the other one. He straightened his shoulders and thought about how much time the two had been spending together since the whole Jam Pony incident. He sighed to himself realizing Max had again not let him in on what she was or was not doing anymore. He cringed again as he watched the white covered hand place some of Max’s hair behind her ear. *Yep, their non-relationship is back to whatever it was.*

“Alright guys… let’s get back downstairs,” Max called out to everyone as Joshua was walking over to her. She patted him on the back as they all started to make their way to the exit. 

Alec walked up behind Logan and place a hand on his shoulder, “Hey, Logan… Buddy.” The older man turned to him with a questioning look. “I just wanted to say…”

Logan cut him off with a self-satisfied grin, “No need to thank me about the familiar girl…”

Alec blinked twice, *Was he serious about that?* He shook it off, and decided not to even go there. He raised his hand… “Uhh… yeah.. whatever. Actually, what I was talking about was…” He wasn’t sure how to say it, but tried anyway. “I just wanted to say I’m sorry. I mean… well… I shouldn’t have to be… it wasn’t my idea or anything… It was all her idea… But I did go along with it… I guess I just can’t say no to her… ” He put up his hand, stopping. “What I’m trying to say is, I’m just glad that the whole lie about me and Max being together to protect you is out in the open. And that…”

Logan cut him off again, “What?”

Alec stopped, “What? What?”

“You and Max aren’t together?”

Alec stopped in mid-thought, *Oh shit.* He swallowed, “You, didn’t… Max didn’t…” He watched the confused look on Logan’s face and then the dawning of what he had revealed. *Oh shit, Shit… SHIT!* Alec thought to himself, “Ummmm… I didn’t say anything.” And with that he was off the roof and trying to figure out a safe place for him to hide out for a few hours.  
_______________________________

“Mole… I’m telling you I’m in deep trouble.”

The lizard man let out a puff of smoke from his mouth, “Tell me something.” Hazel eyes turned toward him, waiting. “What the hell do you see in her?”

“Excuse me?” Alec almost choked.

“Why… why did you stay around her? What’s so special? She not anything special when compared to other female X5’s and other human females. Not that I can really gauge human beauty. She’s not overly intelligent. She knows nothing about military procedure. She treats you like crap. And she has this on again, off again relationship with that pathetic ordinary. So I say again… why?”

His mouth opened to reply, but stopped. He tried again, but no words would form.

“Wow, this must be a first. Pretty boy can’t talk.” Mole put the cigar back in his mouth and took a large puff, then pulled it out and pointed it at the other man as he moved his feet from the coffee table to the floor. “What you told the ordinary isn’t what’s got you in trouble.” He stood up and poked Alec in the head, “It’s what’s in here. And…” He poked him hard in the chest, “here.” Alec took a deep sigh, as Mole started to walk for the door of the office. “You are the one that needs to make a decision, not her. Otherwise…” 

But he didn’t have time to finish that line because the door burst open on rocky hinges and a seething Max barged her way into the room and over to Alec, “I’m going to kick your ASS!”

Mole shook his head, grabbing the door handle, muttering, “Decisions, decisions,” behind him as he left shutting the door firmly behind him.

Alec watched the door close with a deep sigh, and then glanced at the clock. *Four hours and fifty-three minutes.* It was slightly longer than what he thought it would have taken her. *Must have had a longer conversation with Logan than I calculated.* He took a deep breath, holding up his hands, “Now Max, listen…”

She didn’t let him continue, “You told me you weren’t going to tell him! You told me you were going to play along with it! And then without even telling me… YOU TOLD HIM!” She lunged out to punch him in the stomach and his hand grabbed her fist deflecting it. 

“Max! I didn’t tell him…”

“YES YOU DID! He found me, told me he knew the truth… that YOU had told him!”

“Okay… Okay… I did tell him… but… not intentionally.”

She gave him a look like he was insane… “Not intentionally? God Alec… do you always use that excuse? Yeah I did it, but it wasn’t my fault. Well… that’s not even going to attempt to work this time.” She punched with her other fist, which he grabbed with his other hand. 

“Well EXCUSE me Max. I see the two of you the last few days being all chummy, and holding hands, and everything. Him trying to win you over, totally macking on you. And I get this TOTALLY CRAZY idea that you told him the truth. And were ‘back together.’ EXCUSE me for not knowing that Logan is the type of guy to try and steal another guy’s girl!” She blinked twice at that statement as he continued. “And excuse me for trying to make it right between me and him. I NEVER asked to be a part of your little game with Logan. And I REFUSE to be the escape goat when you finally got caught.”

“I had to explain everything to him!”

“Good!”

“He was furious!”

“As he should have been!” She struggled against his hands, trying to get away, but he wouldn’t let her. He saw her temper and anger flaring in her eyes, directed at him, but he also knew… she was more angry with herself. “Had every right to be.” His words working up the flame even higher, he knew she was about to explode. “Seriously Max, who the hell do you think you are playing with someone’s heart like that?”

“This is all your fault!” she yelled again, and tried to kick at him. 

He sidestepped it easily, and pushed her firmly into the wall. Her one arm pushed against the concrete in front of her, her other arm behind her, grabbed firmly by his right hand, his body pushing her into the wall. He felt her try to struggle and get away. Her cheek was pressed up against the cold wall, his mouth by her ear. “Max no matter how much you think you can kick my ass… you can’t. I have you pinned with one arm, and you KNOW you can’t get out of it. So now you are going to listen… to ME. I REFUSE to be your personal punching bag anymore. I’m not going to let you blame me for everything that goes wrong in your life anymore.” 

“Then why don’t you just leave?” She said through gritted teeth, her body still struggling to free itself. 

He laughed, “That’s what you think huh. Think I’ll just leave. Well, you see, this little mess we are in now… I can’t leave. Because it involves me, and all the other transgenics. And just because you appointed yourself leader, doesn’t mean anything. Because I hate to tell you something. Without Me, and Mole, you got nothing.”

“Ha!” she laughed, “Mole and you, what a laugh.”

He just grinned and shook his head. “Mole’s got all the non-human transgenics on his side. And they make up most of Terminal City.”

“And you?”

He laughed, “Well… you know, that’s the funny thing. Because everyone here except you has this weird sense of respect for me, but I’m sure in your thoughts of ‘Alec’s a screw up,’ you haven’t noticed.” She rolled her eyes and he just sighed. “Didn’t notice the salutes I get. Or the way others try not to call me Sir.” He felt her body still slightly. “Has the question ever crossed your mind exactly what I did at Manticore? Why I was assigned to you? Do you really think I was just your Breeding Partner?” He laughed. “No Max… it’s cause I always completed my missions… I only failed once.” He swallowed the lump in his throat, and her eyes reviled that it hadn’t gone unnoticed.

“Now to you, that might not be a good thing.” He gave her a hard look and with his other hand, motioned around the room, trying to indicate all of Terminal City. “But to them, it does. Cause I hate to say it. You, and your ‘brother’s and sister’s’ that escaped… they have always been seen as traitors. Not just to Manticore, but to us as well. We were told you were weak for escaping by them. But we were also left there to be subjected to the results of your little escape.” 

He saw her eyes flinch again, but he wasn’t going to stop. This had to be said. This all had to be done now. The decision had to finally be made. “Without someone that they all respect and believe in, you won’t have the X’s on your side. And while there are a few that have or had higher rank than me, they aren’t here. So you’re stuck with me. And I’m stuck with you. Got it?”

She closed her eyes, and nodded slightly, her jaw tight. He was about to let her go, and then continued. “Oh, and by the way. I suggest that whatever it is that you do or do not have with Logan… You figure it out soon. There is nothing soldiers and followers hate more than a wishy-washy leader. How can you trust them to lead if they can’t figure out their own personal life, especially over someone that is not like them.” And with that he let her go, turned his back and walked out of the office.  
_______________________________

“Food stuffs are full.” Joshua said leaning on the railing with his arms crossed.

Max nodded and turned to Mole. He took out the cigar, “We’re low on ammunition and firearms but…”

“But they will be supplied after the run tonight,” Alec chimed in from the other seat on the couch next to Mole. “And we’ll have some lab equipment and ‘special’ weapons coming in next week.”

Max shook her head, “No, move the man power to the food and general supplies. We won’t be needing the other.”

The three men stopped and looked at her, “What?” Alec asked for all of them.

She looked up from her clipboard. “I said… move the man power to stuff we need. What part of that didn’t you get?” she asked annoyed.

Alec gritted his teeth, “And what part of the other stuff don’t we need?”

“We won’t be in here that long Alec. This is just temporary.”

“Temporary? The last three weeks have been temporary?”

“Things are calming down, I’m sure negotiations will start up any…”

He cut her off by standing up, “Fine whatever Max.” He said and walked down the steps, the door to his office slamming behind him. 

She looked at the other two men, “What was that about?”

Mole shook his head, as he and Joshua moved to the steps as well. “Man sweetheart. You are clueless.” They left her there staring at the closed door across the room.   
_______________________________

It didn’t take hours for the door to swing open this time, and slam shut behind her. “Okay, what the hell was all that about?”

“What?” Alec asked turning around to face her.

“That little display you just gave out there. What the hell is wrong with you?”

“What is wrong with me? ME?”

“What? You trying to put this one on ME now? Oh, that’s rich!” She said walking up to him poking him in the chest. 

His hand pushed hers away quickly. “Don’t push me Max. I’m not in the mood.”

“Oh, what’s new? You’ve been a complete pain in the ass the last couple of weeks. So that’s no surprise, I’d just like to know why.”

“New? You always tell me I’m a pain in the ass… so what’s changed?”

She groaned and turned to follow him across the room. “No. Not a pain in the ass as in being annoying and all Smart Aleccy… but a pain in the ass as being all… all…”

“All what?”

“Grouchy!” He gave her a look. “Okay, bad description. But you KNOW what I mean. You’ve been nothing but distant and cold, especially towards me. What the hell do you want Alec? What do you want from me?”

He shook his head, “Nothing.” She gave him a disbelieving look. “At least nothing you can give me.”

She stopped her retort, “So there is something. What?”

He closed his eyes and turned from her. She grabbed him and spun him towards him, his hands came out instantly ready to defend himself from her, and her eyes widened in shock at how quickly he had moved. But she didn’t stop, “What Alec? Huh… What? Tell me!”

“Well… for one… how about some trust.”

“Huh?”

He pushed her away and walked backwards a few feet. “Maybe I’d like you trust me a little bit. That maybe I just might know what I’m doing. Not second-guessing every order I give to someone, or every plan I come up with. What supplies we may need.”

“Alec we won’t be here that long to…”

He stopped her with a raised hand. “You don’t know that Max. You have no idea what’s going to happen. And the worst thing is, you just dismissed the whole idea because it came from me, and you didn’t even ask what the items were.”

She closed her eyes and clenched her teeth. “What were the items Alec?”

He tried to decide whether he should even tell her. “The lab equipment was for research into this whole prophesy thing you having going on. Dix and Luke think they might be able to know more if they can look into your DNA.” He let that sink in a little bit. “And as for the ‘special’ items, they are some black market items that may let the X’s get past those heat sensors so we can move around easier outside. But… you didn’t care to ask about that.”

“Then why didn’t you just say that in the first place.”

“Because Max, it wouldn’t have mattered. You wouldn’t have listened up there because it came from me. Because in your eyes I’ll always be that screw up.”

“Alec…” She sighed, “I do trust you. More than you know.”

His eyes told her just how much he didn’t believe her, but he spoke anyways, “Then let me do my job. Let me do what I know.”

She nodded. “Fine. Go on with getting what we need. I’ll leave it up to you.”

He nodded, “Fine.”

She started to walk for the door, and then turned around watching him move back to his desk. Her eyes and the look on her face giving away the fact that she hated leaving things like this between them. Something had gone missing in the last few weeks, and she missed it. “Alec?” His eyes looked up from the map on his desk. “You said… for one thing.” He gave her a confused look. “Trust was one thing… what are the others?”

He looked at her for a minute, “Nothing.” He could see she was about to object, and he looked at his watch. “You better hurry up if you are going to make the video call from Logan. You’ve got two minutes.” He saw her nod, and head out of the door. He closed his eyes and pushed the map off the table, “Nothing, nothing at all.”  
_______________________________

“Max…” The annoyance of her name seemed to grow. “Maxxx.” She tried to shake it away. “MAX! Have you even heard one thing…” Her eyes snapped into focus at the screen in front of her, “that I’ve said for the last ten minutes?”

“Huh, what?” She asked her brain trying to clear. 

The figure on the screen started to shake it’s head at her, “What are you thinking about?”

She sighed, “Logan… I just have a lot on my mind.”

“A lot on your mind? What could be more important than what I’ve been talking about?”

She resisted the urge to roll her eyes, but then curiosity got her… what was he talking about? “And what is that?”

“I’ve been telling you about the lead I got on a cure…”

She groaned. “Logan… I’m stuck in Terminal City, I think that might take a little more precedence than…”

“Max we have barely even seen each other in the last three...”

“Logan… even if we do see each other, how is it going to be different than me standing in front of this screen? We still can’t touch.”

“Yes we can. Remember…”

She threw up her hands, “I don’t mean through latex!”

“I don’t like it either, but that’s what I was talking about for so long without you paying attention. The cure, I think I found someone. You just need to go…”

“I can’t go. Don’t you understand that?”

“So what’s on your mind that is sooo much more important than us?”

“Logan… please. Once we get all this stuff sorted out, and negotiations start up. Then we can figure this out.” He threw down some papers on his desk, and they fluttered by the screen. “Logan…”

“No Max, I’ll just work on it myself. I guess us being together is just more important to me than you.”

“Logan, listen…”

“I’ll call back tomorrow at the same time.” And with that the screen went black. 

She banged her head against the desk, “Great… just great.” She mumbled to herself. “Now both men in my life don’t want to talk to me.” She raised her head, “Both?”  
_______________________________

Hazel eyes watched the fleeting form move from the upper level, quickly down the stairs, across the room and then through the door. His body seemed to inch towards the office. “Don’t even think about going after her,” came from a voice behind him, as a hand went to his shoulder, keeping him in place. “She’s not worth it.”

The eyes turned to the hand, darkened and then gazed up at the reptilian face. “What did you say?” 

Mole slowly pulled his hand off Alec’s shoulder, and shook his head, “Nothing.”

“That’s what I thought.” He replied as he shook off the urge and turned back to the computers with Mole and Luke. His brain trying to focus on the maps and data in front of him, and not worry about what had upset the retreating girl.  
_______________________________

“Arghhhh,” she screamed and kicked the wall. Then pain shot through her and she cussed, squeezing her eyes shut, “Damn it!” She sat down quickly on the couch, wincing at her now stubbed toe. She leaned back and rubbed her hands over her face. “Why?” she asked herself. “Why is everything spinning out of control?”

Max was flustered to say the least. She stood up quickly, and started pacing. “I mean… what does he expect from me?”

Her hands started moving frantically as she walked back and forth. “Like I’m just supposed to drop everything. Risk everything. To just go on some wild goose chase.” She stopped dead in her tracks, and closed her eyes. Then with the realization of just how many times she had done just that she leaned her head back towards the ceiling and let out an angry scream.   
_______________________________

The three men at the computer and the rest of the transgenics in the room all turned towards the door. “What animal just died?” Mole asked with a puff of smoke coming out of his mouth.

Alec waved the gray cloud away from his face. He knew that sound, knew what it meant. Max was in there, angry and fuming. Usually he would have gone in, gave some cocky ass remark, and let her take her aggression out on him. But he wasn’t going to do that anymore. How many times had he done that? But instead of her figuring out what he had done, she would then blame him for whatever it was she was angry for. *Not anymore.*

He turned back to the computer ignoring the sound, as Mole and Luke gave a small grin to each other.  
_______________________________

Her fist hit the desk, and the items on it rattled. She went to hit it again, when a knock at the door stopped her. A soft smile came across her face for a brief second, and then turned back into anger as she yelled, “Come in!” 

Her face dropped, “Oh.”

“Little Fella’ okay in here?” Joshua asked her, his head tilted to the side trying to understand her disappointed eyes at seeing him.

“Yes.” She replied simply with a sigh, her anger fading slightly. “So who sent you?” she asked as she circled her desk, and sat on the edge of it, her arms crossed tightly in front of her, trapping her rage.

“No one sent…” He stopped, and watched the disappointed look once again. “Was someone supposed to?”

She shook her head, and placed it in her hands. “No, no. Was there anything else?”

“Actually, yes.” He said slowly pulling out a few pieces of paper. “Gem gave me these lists.”

Max took them, and looked over them, “What’s this?”

“It’s the supplies that she said she needed to start up the school for the X-7’s and younger ones.”

She nodded and gave the papers back to him, “Give it to Alec. He’ll take care of it.” She stood up and went to the door, “I’ve got to get out of here. See ya later Joshua.” 

He followed her out, but stood in the doorway as she crossed the room and exited headquarters. He then walked over to the guys at the computer, and handed the lists to one of them. “Here Medium Fella’.”

Alec gave him a strange look as he looked over the supplies requested. “What is this?”

“Max said to give you the list Gem gave me for the school. She said you would take care of it.”

His hazel eyes moved over to the closed door and back to Joshua, a slight sparkle in them. He nodded, and lightly hit Joshua on the shoulder. “No problem Big Guy. I’ll take care of it. Tell Gem she’ll have all she needs in no time.” Joshua grinned and left happily to tell his news.

Alec turned back to Luke, “Okay, so what were you saying about that meteor shower?”

“One instance of confidence means nothing,” came a voice from behind him.

“Shut up Mole.”  
_______________________________

She leaned against the concrete pillar as the lights bounced off the water puddles lighting up the old parking garage. People were quickly moving about taking boxes out of the back of a large truck. Then they were handed over to others, whom then ran off with them to other buildings. 

Her eyes moved from the smiling faces to Gem, who was giving the directions as to where the boxes went. They then moved up to the back of the van as Alec’s voice called out what was in each box he was handing out. 

“Hey Max…”

She turned towards Dix’s voice and saw him standing in the doorway of headquarters. “Yeah?”

“Logan’s on the video screen.” 

She nodded and looked back at the van with a sigh.

“He says it’s important.”

Max shook her head, stood up straight and started walking towards the door, “It always is.”  
_______________________________

His eyes watched her form move until the door swinging closed obstructed the view. He looked at his watch and sighed. *Right on time.* He rolled his eyes, grabbed two more boxes, read the labels and moved to the edge of the van. “Pencils and folders.”

A boy took both from him and started to turn, but not before Alec ruffled the kids hair. The X7 gave a wide smile and then ran off. 

Alec laughed and turned back to get another box.  
_______________________________

She got up the last stair and turned to face the monitor. “So, let me guess… You have a lead on the cure that…”

He cut her off. “No Max. Actually, I’ve decided that I’ll take care of it myself and not worry you about it.”

Max blinked a couple times, “Excuse me?”

“I think you have way to much going on for yourself. I know you can’t handle everything in Terminal City and the cure too. Especially with who you have supposedly helping you. So as I said, I’ve decided to work on the cure myself. I just wanted to let you know, and remind you that I have a lot of contacts. So if you need anything, just let me know. I’m sure whatever you need, I could find in some way, and… well it may take a little while. But I’d be able to eventually get it.”

Her brain thought of the boxes being unloaded just outside the building. The supplies that had been requested less than twenty-four hours before. “I’ll let you know.”

She took a deep breath, and then thought about what he said. “Wait… what?”

Logan gave her a strange look. “What, what?”

“You… YOU decided that I can’t handle doing both?”

“I just know you are busy, taking on so many roles. I mean with who you have…”

She stopped him, “With who I have? What exactly are you implying Logan? That the other transgenics are somehow inferior to…”

He cut her off, “No, not at all. I’m not talking about transgenics in general. Just… a couple of them. I mean… really. Mole? Joshua? ALEC? With those three as your command staff…”

She rubbed her forehead, and shook her head. “Logan… Just… Don’t… Go there.”

He nodded, not understanding what she actually meant. “I get it. You don’t need to be reminded how much you have to make up for them. Just know I’m always here for you. Any planning or anything.”

Max nodded and bit her lip. “I’ve got it.” She paused, “Logan, if that’s all… I really need…”

He waved her away, “I get it, the troops call. I’ll talk to you soon.” He kissed his fingertips and touched the screen and it went black. 

She closed her eyes, her hands gripped the edges of the desk, her knuckles turning white. She took a deep breath, turned, and quickly made her way down the steps, passing Mole as he walked in the door. She raised her hand at him, giving him the clue not to say anything as she entered her office with a bang.

Mole laughed as he heard something break, and another scream. “We have to find that dieing animal and put it out of its misery.”  
_______________________________

The meeting finished and everyone started to file out of her office. She let out a breath, and rubbed her forehead. Another week and no progress, in any aspect at all. 

He turned at the door, taking a quick look back. His eyes saw her slumped shoulders, and he had to bite his tongue to ask her what was wrong. He mentally shook himself. If she wanted to talk to him, then she would. But he had to say something… “Max?”

Her head quickly looked up, “Yes?”

“Uhhh…” He looked down at his wrist, “Just letting you know… the meeting went kinda long this time. You don’t have too long before Logan…”

She looked down at the floor, “Right.” She sighed and stood up passing him out the door, and quickly making her way up the stairs. 

He ran his hand though his hair with a heavy breath. Then walked out into the main part of headquarters. He caught sight of Luke and Mole with a few other X’s bringing in some boxes. “Ohhh guys… did you come bearing gifts for little ole’ me?” His face lit back up as he walked over to them.  
_______________________________

She got to the screen right as the transmission was starting to come through. “Hey Max…” came the monotone voice from the other end.

“Hi,” she replied and took a seat at the terminal.

He watched her for a minute then asked, “What’s wrong?”

“What?” 

“I asked you what’s wrong. Obviously something is bothering you.”

*Yes, obviously!* She thought to herself, *So obvious that even you can tell… but others… just don’t seem to notice… or … even… care,* she thought with a sigh. She closed her eyes and just said, “Nothing.”

“No, it’s not nothing. Tell me what it wrong. I can help you. Whatever it is, I can figure it out and will take care of it.”

She smiled and shook her head. He gave a smile as well, not understanding that the smile was not out of happiness for his ‘help’ but at how funny his comment seemed to her. She didn’t want someone to fix anything. She didn’t want someone else deciding what she should do. She just wanted someone to let her talk, to listen to her, to take her aggression… She stopped her train of thought. 

“Logan… I’m fine. I can take care of it. It’s just that I’m tired, and I’ve got a headache. The meeting ran long…”

“Oh, I see. You were in a meeting. That explains everything.” He stopped and thought for a second, “You know, I’ve been thinking. If I just had a little more of a transgenic transfusion, I would probably stay immune to the toxic environment of Terminal City like you are. I could then be there and help you with command.”

Her eyes went wide, “NO!” 

Logan seemed to almost jump back from the screen. “Why?”

Her mind raced, “You… you can’t be here. It’s too dangerous for you.”

“But like I said Max. With another transfusion… it wouldn’t be. I could be there for you, helping you.”

“But… the virus… something could happen. I don’t want to risk it.”

“Max…”

“No Logan. Please. I just couldn’t handle you being here…” her brain froze before she continued, “and… getting hurt. Yeah… I don’t want you getting sick.”

He gave a soft smile, “Okay. I’ll stay here. You do have a lot to worry about as it is.” He stopped and then reached for a few pieces of paper. “Well, I guess moving on…”

Max’s brain caught onto his words, “Moving on?” she asked puzzled.

He nodded, “Yeah, in conversation. I actually did call about something else.”

“Oh, right.” She leaned her chin against her hand and waited for him to stop his dramatic pause and continue.

“I was doing some more research on the runes. And I figured out they were talking about falling stars… Well… if you remember there was a meteor shower not to long ago.”

Max smiled, “Yeah… Luke and Dix mentioned last week…”

He kept going, “Now this could be important Max. This meteor shower could mean something. I’m going to have to look into it a little more and see if it ties into anything else.”

She rested her hand on her forehead, letting her hair cover part of her face and the smile that was starting to form as she bit her lip. She then gritted her teeth as he went on explaining stuff that Dix had told her the week before. Only Dix had a lot more detail to his analysis. She brought up her other hand, cupping her temples. “Logan, I really need to go. My headache is just… And any voices are just…” *Yeah, so many voices IN your head.* 

He put up a hand, “Say no more. Take care of yourself Max, I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

She nodded, “Bye,” and turned off the terminal without a reply. 

Max then shook her head, *Headache?* She wanted to laugh at herself, *That’s the oldest line in the book to get out of…* Her brain stopped with the sound of laughter below. 

She walked over to the ledge and looked over the railing. A group of guys were looking through some boxes, as another round of laughs echoed up at her. She quickly bounded down the stairs and up behind them. “So, who’s throwing this party?”

Alec, Mole, Luke, Dix and a few other X5’s turned around quickly. “Oh, no party,” hazel eyes responded.

She looked around at everyone, and saw how the humor and sparkle had vanished once she had shown up. “So… what’s going on then.”

“Those special items have come in. And I was talking about how I was going to test them out tonight.”

She nodded, “The technology that disguises our temperature difference from humans…” Alec nodded an affirmative. “So where are you all going?”

He shook his head, “I’M going,” he said indicating himself, “to the Golden Lotus to…”

The name of the bar rang through her ears, and visions of what else went on there ran past her eyes. A range of emotions blasted through her, and when she realized one was turning her eyes green she became very angry, and she yelled before she even thought, “So you’re going to take this important equipment out to go get drunk and laid!”

The others, even Mole seemed to take a step back from her accusing words. Alec straightened his shoulders under his dark turtleneck, and clenched his jaw. “Yeah, that’s right Max. I JUST used the new laser we got to get rid of my barcode. Because we all know just how much I LOVE doing that. And then I’m just going to take this delicate piece of equipment out to go get some scotch and go whoreing. Because God knows I can’t find any good liquor or available women here in Terminal City.”

Mole gave him a strange look, “Hey. Jonny might not have the best scotch in the world, but it beats most of the stuff those ordinaries have.” 

Luke gave a soft laugh, but stopped instantly when Max looked at him. Him, Dix and the other X’s seemed to move off, and she looked back at Mole as he continued. 

He slapped Alec on the back, “And don’t worry Pretty Boy I know quite a few females itching for ya.”

Alec gave him an evil look. Mole held up his hands, “Looks like someONE does need to get laid.”

“Mole…” 

The warning was more than enough for him to start walking away. Receiving another glare from Max as well he muttered, “Or more than one.”

She straightened her shoulders and turned back to Alec, “Well, IF that’s not it… What are you doing exactly?”

“I’m going there to meet another one of my suppliers.”

“What else do we need?”

“Nothing much, just a few things. Some hospital supplies. A little more ammunition, and some computer equipment.”

“We can get that other ways. There’s no reason to risk using that…”

He shook his head, “It’s more to test it out than it is to meet the contact. I want to make sure these work.”

She shook her head. “Then send someone else to test it out. It’s stupid for you to…”

He cut her off, “Yeah, yeah. I’ll get caught or something and then you’ll have to save my ass, right Max?”

“Alec… that’s not what I…”

He raised his hand. “I don’t want to send someone else in, incase it doesn’t work. If it goes sideways, then I’m on my own, and I’ll handle it. You don’t need to come after me.”

“Alec… I think you should be…”

He took one of the devices, and shook his head at her. “Hey don’t worry about it. Either way it’s good right?” She gave him a strange look as he started to walk for the door. “If it works, then we know it works. If it doesn’t,” he said as he got to the door, and turned back to her. “Then you’ll get your wish… and you will finally be rid of me.” 

The sound of the door closing echoed in her head, “That’s what I’m worried about.”  
_______________________________

He hissed as he took off his battered leather coat, now containing one more hole, and sat it on the counter next to the sink. He raised his arm carefully and pulled off his sweater. He used it to wipe away the blood from the back of his shoulder, and then threw it in the trashcan. He sighed, *And that was one of my favorites.*

He turned his back towards the mirror, a grimace on his face as he looked over his shoulder. How was he going to explain this? It wasn't like she would really believe him anyway. She would of course accuse him of screwing up and doing something stupid once again. He sighed just as there was a knock on his door.   
Alec walked over to it slowly, and peered out the peek hole, visibly relaxing as he opened the door. He motioned them in quickly and shut the door. "Thanks buddy," he said as he ruffled the boy's hair at seeing the supplies he carried. 

Dalton looked at him with wide eyes, "The SAME shoulder?" 

Alec smiled, "One and the same, but it's in the back not the side." 

The boy shook his head and walked over to the sink with Alec right behind him. "What is it with you?" He asked as he sat down the supplies and started taking things out of the packages. 

Alec hopped up on the counter with his back to Dalton, but watched the kid through the mirror. "What can I say... I screw up a lot." The disbelieving look almost made him laugh. "Well, let me ask you. If you were going to get shot, which shoulder would you rather take it in?" 

"Left." 

"Why?" 

"I use my right." 

"Exactly. Even though we were built and designed to ambidextrous, we were still trained to blend into society, and by mostly right-handed instructors." 

Dalton nodded in his logic, but then thought of something. "Actually, now that I think about it. I'd choose right." Alec gave him a weird look and then hissed as the kid pulled the bullet from his shoulder. He dropped it in the sink, and sat down the tweezers. "The heart is in the left." 

Alec stopped in thought for a second about that, realizing the kid was right, and he had never even thought about it. He then laughed, "Guess I just figured one of these days I'd get lucky and someone would pierce it for me." The shocked look he got back turned the smile into a genuine one. "Don't worry kid, I'm just kidding. I'm not going anywhere. No matter how much some people would like to see me go." 

Dalton shook his head. "No she doesn't." He stated flatly as he applied the antiseptic to the wound. 

"Damn!" he shouted as the sting ran through him. He then caught sight of the needle and thread, "Now... make it pretty. I don't want any ugly scars." Dalton rolled his eyes at him as the words registered in his brain, "Wait... what? What do you mean... SHE doesn't?" 

He tried not to smile in response. “Max.”

“Max? Why the hell do you think I’d be talking about her?” He just gave Alec a look. “Okay. See… there’s my point. It’s obvious to EVERYONE that she doesn’t want me around.”

Dalton shook his head as he finished up and tied off the string, and then started to apply the bandage and gauze. “No. It’s obvious to everyone how much more bitchy she has become since the two of you have stopped talking. And her and… what’s his name… ‘hooked’ back up.” Alec almost laughed at the gesture he used when he said hooked. 

“Trust me kid, that’s nothing new.” He moved his shoulder and winced slightly after the gauze was taped off. He then hopped off the counter and went to get his black t-shirt. He slowly pulled it over his chest and turned back to Dalton who was putting everything in the old, rusted medicine cabinet. 

Alec went and sat down on the battered couch and clicked on the television. He looked at the clock, it was late… early actually. “Now… Max would say you should be in bed.” He rolled his eyes, “Want’a watch some old shows with me?” Dalton smiled broadly and took a seat next to Alec, both putting their feet up on the scratched coffee table. 

“So…” Dalton started off, “How DID it happen?”

Alec laughed. “Would you believe a bar fight broke out and I got in the crossfire saving my contact from a stray bullet?”

Dalton shook his head. “Wrong time, wrong place, and nothing to do with your contact or being a transgenic?” Alec nodded. The kid laughed, “Yep… Max will never believe that one.”   
_______________________________

His feet hit the floor and he immediately woke up, his eyes going wide, “What the f…” Then his eyes caught hers. 

“We ARE trying to have a meeting here.”

He groaned and put his feet back up on the table and curled in closer to the couch, trying not to wince as his shoulder moved against the cushion. “Just give me the list after you guys DISCUSS what you want. I’m tired.”

Max rolled her eyes, “Not from testing the device.”

Hazel eyes opened, “What? I tested it! I got back late.”

“Yeah, whatever. You were up till almost dawn watching old TV shows!”

His eyes got wide, “That little… rat!”

Max shook her head, “Dalton didn’t tell me.” Alec gave her a questioning look. “I overheard Gem yelling at him for falling asleep in class. He said there was a ‘Wonder Woman’ marathon on last night.” She gave him a look, “I put two and two together.”

Alec relaxed, realizing that the rest of the nights activities hadn’t been revealed. He looked over at Mole, “I wanted to show the kid what a real woman superhero was. Can you blame me?” Max gave him an evil look. “Yep, she was cool. Caught bad guys and everything Max. And you know what?”

“What Alec?”

“She wasn’t a bitch all the time… AND she’d let a guy get some sleep!”

“Well you can get your sleep after the meeting, and after you report how last night went.”

He sighed, “Fine.” He then sat up, gave a mock salute. “Should I stand? Or can I stay seated.” She rolled her eyes. “Okay then.” He cleared his throat. “At 2100 hours I took the device in question and attached it as instructed to my person. I then exited the boundaries of Terminal City at 2105 hours and proceeded into the city to the Golden Lotus to meet my contact for supplies as previously discussed.”

Max sat back in her chair, her fingers tapping on the armrest. Showing just how annoyed she was with his telling. 

The tapping of her fingers made it difficult for him not to smile, as he continued on with his story. “I met with my contact. Arranged the supply meeting. Left the bar. Passed through checkpoints without incident. Then returned to base at 0137 hours…. In conclusion… the device works as specified and the supplies are arranged for transport.” With that he gave another salute, leaned back on the couch, and returned his feet to the table. “Happy now?” He asked as he yawned.

She felt the urge to rip her hair out. “Yes.” Was all she said. Then she turned to the others. “Okay, give your lists to Alec, since he so graciously said he would take care of them. And this meeting is over.” Everyone quickly put their pieces of paper on the coffee table at his feet and moved out of the area as if they knew a bomb was going to go off.

Alec sat up slowly, gathered the papers, stood up and walked to the stairs. “Why the hell did…” she started as her hand landed hard on his shoulder spinning him around, and a look of pain crossed his face before he could mask it. She stopped instantly at seeing it. “What was that?” She asked quickly.

“What was what?” He asked trying to play dumb.

“What did you do now? What happened that you didn’t say?”

“I didn’t do anything Max.”

“Alec…”

“The device worked. Our supplies are coming. I came back. What else is there?”

“Whatever else that caused you severe pain when I grabbed your shoulder. And don’t lie to me and say there wasn’t and don’t tell me it was from the Jam Pony incident all those weeks back.”

“Guess you don’t know your own strength Maxie. I think you might have left a bruise.”

“Don’t give me that bull shit. Not after the whole wall pinning… I’m not taking your ass kicking anymore speech.”

He sighed. “Whatever you think happened, or whatever you want to think happened… happened. Okay? It will just save us all a lot of time and energy.” With that he turned around and walked down the steps.

She almost let him go, but then was following him down on his heels, and into his office, shutting the door behind her. He shook his head even before she started talking. “No, it’s not okay. None of this is okay!”

He turned to her, “None of what is okay?”

“THIS!” she said moving her arms between the two of them. 

He repeated the gesture… “English Max.”

“Communication. Between us.”

Alec nodded, “Yes… that is what I am trying to get from you. You must explain what you are talking about. Because mind reader was not mixed into my cocktail.”

She wanted to scream at him. “Talk to me!”

“I am talking to you.”

“No you aren’t!”

He gave her a look like she was crazy. “My lips are moving… sound is coming out… the sound is forming words. This is talking.”

She then did scream, “AHHHH! Why do you have to be such a pain?”

He threw his arms up in the air and walked around his desk. “What the hell do you want from me?” He leaned his hands on the desk and looked over at her. “Really Max? Huh? I don’t understand this. You tell me all the time to shut up. I shut up, and now you want me to talk. I talk, and now you say I’m not talking. Really… an understanding of what you want exactly would be helpful.”

She shook her head slightly and closed her eyes, her jaw clenched, teeth grinding. She was losing… totally losing the battle because she didn’t truly even understand what the war was about. That was the problem. “Alec…” She started slowly, carefully… just trying to ask the question as calmly as possible. “just tell me… what happened.”

“I got shot. Happy?”

“No.”

“Big surprise there.” He sighed and sat in his chair. 

Max clenched her fists, not giving in to herself, wanting to yell and comment on his reply. “How?”

He leaned his head back looking at the ceiling, “Does it really matter?”

“Yes.”

“I screwed up, good enough?”

She could feel her temper rising, she tried to hold onto the reins. “No, I want an explanation.”

“Well you know what. I don’t want to give one.” He stood up and walked towards the door. “You don’t tell me everything in your life. I don’t have to, or want to tell you everything in mine. We work together, because we have to. That’s it.” She turned around quickly looking at him in slight shock as he continued. “What happened doesn’t affect work. And isn’t of any importance to our goals. Therefore there is no requirement that I tell you anything.” He opened the door to his office. “Now if you don’t mind. I have a lot of work to do if I am going to get all those supplies requested at your God awful early morning meeting.” 

Max stood there for a second in complete shock. She…SHE… had been completely dismissed. She walked out in a haze, and jumped slightly when the door was slammed behind her. 

She walked numbly towards her office, her mind asking over and over again, *What the hell just happened?* 

Luke watched her, a slight worried look on his face as his eyes moved from her, to Alec’s door and then back. He caught the beep of the transmitter turning on, and called out to her. “Hey Max…” She turned to look up at the balcony and him with a blank look. “Logan’s coming on the…”

She waved at him, and shook her head as she walked to her office and opened the door. “Tell him… I’ll talk to him tomorrow.”

“Uhhh… Ohhh kay.” He said as he watched her close the door behind her. He then turned towards Dix… “Did I hear her correctly?”

Dix nodded, disbelief in his eyes as well.

Luke turned towards the screen… “Uh, hey Logan. Ummm… Max is really, really busy…”  
_______________________________

Two minutes later her office door flew open, “Someone…” she yelled as she walked into the main room… “Find me Dalton. Now!”  
_______________________________

Max sighed at herself, and shook her head. She got the truth, and now that she did… she felt… what? Relieved? Terrible? She wasn’t sure. The only thing that really bothered her is she didn’t even have to ask why he hadn’t told her himself. She knew. She knew she wouldn’t have believed him. 

She looked at her watch, and then stood up because she knew that any second now… The door burst open and closed just as quickly with a bang. The hinges barely stayed on the frame. “You had NO right! No RIGHT to do that! How DARE you?” Alec yelled with a rage and a darkness in his eyes that made her take a step back. 

Okay… maybe she had crossed the line. But… she had to find out some way… didn’t she? “Alec…”

“Don’t…. DON’T even try to defend yourself on this one. He’s JUST a kid! You interrogated a KID to get some stupid information just because I wouldn’t tell you. Who the hell is the KID now Max?”

He was standing on the other side of her desk, his hands gripping the edge. She felt bad for the desk, but thankful because she knew if it wasn’t that, those hands just might be around her neck. “I DID NOT interrogate him.” She put up her hand, trying to calm him. “Don’t be so dramatic.” His knuckles seemed to turn whiter. Okay… maybe teasing was NOT the way to go. “I just… well… I said he could tell me or… well…”

He shook his head, “MAX he’s a teenage boy… you take away video games and pictures of naked women you might as well shoot him!” 

She rolled her eyes at him, “Oh come on. Manticore…”

He spun around walking to the middle of the room, “Oh don’t even. Max how many times have you said we aren’t in Manticore anymore?” He spun back to her and looked her hard in the eye. “You say we escaped. But then you go and do something like this? Turn one solider against another to get information you couldn’t pry from one of them.”

She swallowed hard, and tried not to let the wetness in her eyes flow down her cheeks from the hard truth in his words. He saw it, and he almost stopped… almost. He shook his head at her. “Max… I don’t understand you anymore. Heck… maybe I never did.” He ran his hand though his hair, “No… you know what… I don’t think I ever did…. I’m not even sure I want to.” And with that he turned back around and headed for the door and opened it. 

He stopped and turned back to her. “One more thing. If you ever… ever do something like this again... Max… no one… NO ONE messes with my friends.” 

Her eyes closed at his words and the sound of the door slamming behind him echoed through her ears. She sat down quickly, crossed her arms over the desk and rested her head over them. The tear with the knowledge that she had gone too far this time ran down her cheek, followed by another, and another….  
_______________________________

Mole looked up from cleaning is gun. He took the cigar out of his mouth and was about ready to comment when Alec’s hand raised in the air at him, and he spoke as he walked past. “Jonny’s,” was all he said as he exited Headquarters. 

Mole looked at Luke and Dix then over to Joshua. Him and Joshua stood up. Mole sat down the gun and left through the same door. Joshua took a deep breath and approached Max’s door slowly.

Dix and Luke looked at each other, shook their heads and went back to working at their computers.  
_______________________________

Max lifted her head slightly at the light knock. She quickly wiped her eyes, “Enter.”

The door opened and she tried to give the visitor a smile as they came in shutting the door behind them. “Joshua… Hi.”

He walked over to her, “Hi Little Fella’.” He tilted his head at her and looked at her, his nose sniffed the air slightly. “What’s wrong? Why tears?”

Her shoulders slumped as she stood and moved to the couch. He followed her and they both sat down. She leaned her head on his shoulder and he wrapped his arm around her. She brought her booted feet up on the couch. She took a deep breath, “I think I really… really messed things up.”

Joshua brought his other arm around her, hugging her close. “How?” 

Max sighed and shook her head. “How isn’t important. What’s important is trying to figure out what I do now.”

He looked down into her brown eyes with a confused look, “About what?”

She closed her eyes, and pressed her face into his shirt, trying to hide away from… “Everything.”  
_______________________________

Mole walked into the smoke filled room, or what the transgenics had built to resemble a bar. He scanned the area quickly and found his target sitting at a corner table. Glass in hand, and a bottle already half empty. He walked over, took a chair from another table, swung it around and straddled it at the loner’s table. “So what did she do now?”

The look he got should have made him shut up… heck it would have made anyone else slowly back out of Terminal City if not run. But Mole held his ground, as Alec pushed the glass away, and just decided to take a swig of scotch out of the bottle. It was just faster that way. His fingers motioned at the real Jonny behind the bar for another. 

“Liquor is not going to take care of the problem.” Another look, and Mole actually coughed on the smoke from his cigar. “With how much you are going to have to drink to forget or whatever it is that you are trying to do, you are going to be flat broke and sicker than a dog.”

Alec’s jaw clenched, but he only raised the bottle and downed the rest of it as Jonny handed him another, and took the empty. 

Mole shook his head and put his cigar out on the already burnt and ashy tabletop. “Why do you put up with…”

He was cut off this time. “I’m NOT! That’s the thing. I’m NOT taking the crap from her anymore… But she still seems too… TOO…” His fist hit the table. “God, she can just get under your skin! And… AND…” He stopped he couldn’t even talk anymore… she had infuriated him to the point where he couldn’t even talk. HIM… ALEC! He raised the bottle and downed about a fourth of it.

Mole was in shock as well, and then he let out a slight laugh. “Man buddy… you are stuck. She bitches at you when you do what she wants. She bitches at you when you don’t do what she wants. You can’t leave, you won’t leave… but… what other choice do you have?” He got an evil look in his eyes, rubbing his hands together.

Alec shook his head, “You can’t kill her Mole… a mutiny is not even funny.” He took another large swig and frowned that the second bottle was already almost empty.

“Okay… fine… take my fun.” He took another cigar out from his pocket, struck a match across the table top and started to light it. “But… she could leave. On her own.”

Alec’s eyes quickly flickered over to the other man, and Mole caught the look before the uncaring mask returned. Mole sighed knowing what those eyes told was still hiding in there through all the anger. Alec took another sip, and then pointed the bottom of the bottle at the lizard man. “And why would Max leave?”

“What if her little ordinary boyfriend needed her? Let him deal with her for awhile.” Alec downed the rest of the bottle, signaling for yet another one at the suggestion. His stomach was actually starting to feel a little queasy… but he was sure it wasn’t from the alcohol. 

“One big problem in your whole plan… the virus… with that there… she won’t…”

Mole smiled. “Well maybe we can fix that little problem.”

Alec sat up in his seat, any affect the alcohol might have had was gone. “Mole… WHAT do you know?”  
_______________________________

Joshua looked down at her. "Everything?" 

She nodded and slowly pulled out of his arms and sat back on the couch. "I'm not sure exactly when or how it all happened. But I think I have messed things up pretty bad." 

He didn't even have to ask, because Max saw the confusion in his eyes. "I think he hates me." 

Joshua shook his head quickly, after her words finally confirmed what it was... or whom more specifically she was talking about. "Alec doesn't hate you." 

She laughed, "Well after everything... he probably has every right to." 

When he didn't say anything, and his eyes briefly looked away, she knew he couldn't defend her. "I kept piling it on, again and again. He kept taking it for so long. But... I went to far... to far, wayyyy to many times. And now... now what I used to find so incredibly annoying and just couldn't wait to get rid of..." She stopped, shaking her head at herself and sighing. 

"Tell him." 

"What???" The sound in her voice told Joshua just what she thought of that idea. 

"I said... tell him." 

"I know what you said. But... but... I can't do that!" She stood up quickly and started pacing. 

"Why?" 

"Because." 

"Because why?" he asked watching her move from the door to the desk and back, over and over. 

She started motioning with her arms, trying to figure out what she wanted to say. "Because... he would so... he just would... I mean... I... ARGG!" She threw up her hands in the air. 

"You don't want to admit you were wrong about Alec." 

Max turned quickly towards him, and swallowed hard. She paused then spun and started walking again, "I wasn't... totally... wrong about..." She caught his look. "Not... totally...”  
_______________________________

Mole let out a puff of smoke. “You know… it’s a funny thing. That ordinary wants to cure that virus so bad. He keeps looking for Manticore doctors… Human doctors.” He shook his head.

Alec just rested his forehead in his hand, knowing exactly where Mole was going with this. He almost wanted to laugh.

“Even funnier is, how many transgenics worked in those labs as well. Did he… did she… even once think that maybe… just MAYBE we might also know the answer?”

He looked over a Mole… “Why didn’t you or anyone else ever say anything?”

Mole laughed. “Why would we? Do you think we really care if Max gets to be together with that Human? What was in it for us? But now that there is a reason… Hey, it’s perfect. This way we might be able to get rid of them both, and then actually get some real work done.”

Alec sighed. He rubbed his temples, he felt a huge headache coming on, and his stomach was seriously getting dangerously close to over spilling its contents. But the bottles of scotch were not the problem. He knew what had to be done. It would solve a lot of problems… right? It was what she TRULY wanted… right? He took a deep breath, looked over at Mole… “Do it,” and with that he took another really, really long drink.   
_______________________________

He paced back and forth across his office. One hand held a small electronic device, one just like he had tested the other night. His other hand held a small, glass, fluid filled vial. He stopped in the middle of the room, closed his eyes, and used all his will power not to clench his fists and destroy both tiny little things. Two very delicate things that were about to change so much. 

With a deep breath two hazel eyes opened with a determined look. He turned towards the door and walked out, moved across the main room, and raised one hand to knock.

“She’s not there.”

Alec spun towards Luke’s voice. “What?” Where?”

Luke pointed to the second story, “Logan’s…”

Alec nodded before he continued, thus cutting him off. He took a deep breath. “Well… why not.” He bounded up the stairs to find Max twirling her hair as she listened to Logan from the screen. 

Her eyes quickly moved up to catch his, “Alec?”

Logan stopped, giving the other man an evil glare. “Do you mind? We’re having a discussion.”

Max tried not to roll her eyes. A discussion would involve talking of more than ONE person, and would hopefully have to do with information that she hadn’t already known days before. 

Alec rolled his head, and then spoke, “Well… Logan… you might want to hear this.” He looked back at Max. “I can’t take credit for it. But… umm… some of the transgenics and X’s worked together with what they learned back at Manticore and well…” He stopped. He wanted to run his hands through his hair but unable to because of the items he held. 

Max looked at him, unable to read where he was going, and totally confused by the range of emotions he was trying hard to cover. Then his eyes looked up once again and caught hers, as he held up the tiny vial. 

Her mouth dropped open, and her world went numb. Even Logan’s voice from the screen wasn’t enough to bring her out of her disbelief. 

“Is that… the cure?”

Alec nodded. “It’s a 100% … well… I’ll say 99.9% safe.”

“Max… did you hear that?” Logan said almost with a screech. “We can be together now.” He looked at Alec, “How long till it starts to work?”

“About an hour.”

“Max… an hour!”

She blinked twice… “But… the city… if I leave… I’ll be detected…”

Alec held up the small device in his other hand.

Max swallowed hard, “The thermo device to disguise our elevated temperature.” His slight nod made her heart drop. “You… You’re… giving me both these things?” She blinked again in shock… “YOU’RE giving me the TWO things I HAVE to HAVE to be WITH Logan?”

He swallowed the lump coming up from his stomach, “Yes.”

“Max, you can come see me now without any problems.”

She looked at Logan quickly, and then back to Alec. “But I can’t leave. I have so much to do here.”

“Max… you can do it from here. Like I talk to you, you can talk to them when you need to.” 

She almost looked panicked, and turned quickly to Alec… “I can’t run things from there. Can I?” Her brain was pleading that he would say no.

“Sure you can,” Alec answered looking at the terminal. He put on his best cocky smile, “Hey Logan… you got like about an hour… you might want to go start boiling some water… Cause I know how much Max loves your pasta.”

Logan’s eyes lit up, “He’s right. I need to go. Max… I’ll see you soon. Bye.” And with that he was off the computer. 

Max looked at the black screen, as her world seemed to fall out from under her. She saw him walk up to her and set down the two items in his hands on the table, and then turned to walk away. 

She looked at the two things, and then rage started to build as she heard his foot steps down the stairs. She picked them both up and followed him down and then into his office.

Alec turned around when he was about halfway in, “What’s…” was all he got out as the door slammed shut behind her. 

“How DARE YOU!” She screamed at him.

He blinked, “Excuse me?” He asked in total disbelief… “What did I do wrong now?”

She sat the two things on his desk, “These!” She then moved away, afraid in her rage she might actually break them. 

His eyes widened in shock. “WHAT? You HAVE to be kidding me. You have done nothing but complain about not being able to TOUCH Logan. About the cure, and how it was my fault you weren’t together. Well… NOW you can be TOGETHER. It’s what you WANT.”

Her jaw clenched… “But you… you… gave me NO CHOICE.”

Alec looked at her like she had grown a second head. “What?”

“You come up there. With him there. Telling him.”

“So?”

“So? SO?” She threw up her hands in the air. “Now he thinks I’m going to be there in an hour. And now I HAVE to go.”

He shook his head, “And why are you angry about that?”

“It should be MY decision. NOT yours!”

Alec ran his hand through his hair, and gripped it, trying not to rip it out. “I didn’t think there was any decision to make! I thought you would jump at the chance to get the cure, go to Logan, and get out of Terminal City.”

Her head snapped up, “What?” She asked. Then the truth slapped her and she took a step back. “Oh my God. You didn’t… They didn’t…” She started backing towards the door. “Oh God.” 

He took a step towards her, the look on her face making him want to ask her what was so wrong. “Max?” He asked softly.

She shook her head, “You ALL hate me.”

His eyes widened. “What?”

“You all did this to get rid of me.”

He swallowed slightly and looked away.

She felt like her knees were going to give out, her lip quivered slightly because the turning of his eyes confirmed her fears. She nodded slightly, squared her shoulders, picked up the two items from the desk, turned, and walked to the door. “Fine. I see. Well… If anyone needs me… I guess you know where I’ll be.”

Alec heard the door slam, and felt the shockwave move though his chest. At least that’s what he told himself was the reason for his heart constricting so painfully.  
_______________________________

She pulled the syringe out of her arm and threw the empty vial and needle into the trash. She attached the small electronic device to her skin over her heart, rearranged her leather coat and exited the makeshift hospital. 

Max walked through the falling apart parking garage with a swift step. Anyone around seemed to give her more than enough space as she walked to her bike. She strapped her bag to the back, climbed on, started it, revved up the engine and was out of Terminal City before she could even see the hazel eyes looking out of the dirty, grimy window above.   
_______________________________

The darkness as she slowly marched up the steps of the house signaled just how long she had been riding her baby around Seattle. She wanted to tell herself she spent so long driving around because it had been way too long since she was outside Terminal City. But as she tried to dry the wetness on her checks with her hands she knew the reason. The same reason with each step, the dread started to weigh her down more and more. 

She wasn't wanted. Wasn't wanted by anyone... Well except for the person inside the house she was entering. As she opened the door, the smell of marinara sauce almost made her sick. Why was she reacting like this? Shouldn't a part of her at least be... happy? She was finally getting what she had complained she had wanted for so long. Then why did it all feel so... wrong? 

Max shut the door behind her, and a voice called out, "Max? Is that you?" 

She heard the quick footsteps as she started to round the corner of the hallway and almost ran right into him, "Logan!" She said in shock as he popped into view and she almost bumped into him. She took a step back, making sure not to touch him out of habit. 

"It's okay Max... What took you so long? I'm sure you took the cure over an hour ago right?" The words were out of his mouth so fast she barely had time to register them. 

She just nodded in response to the last one, and then "Sorry... the night air... Seattle..." 

He waved it off, "It's okay. I understand. You've been cooped up. But not anymore." He said with a smile, and then moved towards her. "Just think Max, we can now be together." His arms went wide, and quickly enveloped her in a hug, picking her up off her feet. The electronic whirling made her head spin as he was also twirling her around. 

She held on tight, only because she was afraid she would fall, feeling light-headed, as tears streamed down her face. Tears he mistakenly believed were full of joy like he was.  
_______________________________

"So I hear there's reason to celebrate." 

The eyes that looked back at Mole from the table, told him that was completely untrue. At least for one person. Mole took a seat, and signaled to Jonny for a drink, and another bottle of scotch for his drinking partner. 

Alec gave him a questioning look as Jonny brought over the other bottle. Mole took out his cigar, grabbed the mug from Jonny, and responded, "Looks like you might need it." 

He lifted the bottle high as he leaned back in his chair, and took another swig, shaking his head. "She thinks everyone hates her." 

"So?" Mole asked him, "It accomplished the main goal. She won't be back." 

Alec swallowed hard, "Yeah it sure did." He looked at the dark liquid in the bottle as he moved it around. He closed his eyes, "She left. Took her stuff. And... went to him." He sat back up, put the bottle on the table, and leaned over it, putting his head in his hands. 

Mole just shook his head looking at his counterpart. "Don't do this to yourself. She wanted this. She wants him. This is the best for everyone.”

“Everyone?”

“Yes. Everyone. Including you…” He said, pointing his cigar at the other man, “Especially you.”

Alec just gave a snort in response.

“Forget about that female.” He motioned his cigar around the bar, “There are plenty more out there. And most of them won’t treat you like shit.”

He looked up from the bottle and caught a blond looking back at him with a smile.

Mole stood up, patted him on the shoulder, “It’s time to get back in the saddle my friend and sow more of those wild oats.”

Alec watched Mole leave as the curvy blonde started to walk towards his table. “Is this seat taken?”

He looked up at her, took another large swig of scotch. “It is now,” he said motioning with his other hand for her to sit down.  
_______________________________

She sat her fork down next to her plate of half eaten pasta. Afraid that if she didn’t she might break something because her hand was shaking so much. She gripped her hands together in her lap under the table.

Logan looked over at her through the glow of the candles. He took a drink of wine, sat his glass down, “Are you okay?”

“Yes,” she said too quickly. “Why?”

He eyed her for a second, “Because you’ve hardly ate or drank anything.”

“Just… in shock… still… I guess.”

He nodded, “Yeah, me too. I can’t believe this whole nightmare is over.”

*Or just beginning,* she thought but said, “Yeah.”

“Well, since it looks like you’re done eating…” Her heart began to beat faster, “How about we… go sit down and…”

“Talk… sure!” She said, grabbing her glass of wine, drinking the rest quickly, and pouring another. 

He smiled and followed her over to the couch, grabbing the bottle of wine as he went.

She sat down on the far end, curling up her feet between her and the rest of the couch.

Logan sat down, and turned towards her. He laughed slightly, “Max… remember… you don’t have to be so far away from me anymore.”

Max nodded, “Uh yeah… right… it’s so difficult to remember that.”

He smiled, “Yeah, might take a little getting used to. But I think we’ll manage,” he said as he moved closer to her. He moved his hand to touch the side of her face and she instinctively jumped back. 

“Sorry.” She said quickly.

“It’s okay.” He said softly, moving his face closer to hers. “We’ll just go slow.”

She swallowed hard, “Yeah… slow… perfect.”  
_______________________________

Mole walked back in the bar, and shook his head. “They don’t call him Pretty Boy for nothing,” he said as he started to walk over to Alec’s table. The full range of hair colors were on display, as a group of women all sat around his table.

He was about ready to smile seeing as how his advice seemed to be paying off, until he started to hear his conversation.

“So I just don’t get it… I mean… that’s what she said she wanted… right?”

A red head patted him on his arm, shaking her head. “Some women just don’t know what they want.”

The brunette just rolled her eyes, “Sounds like a bitch to me.”

The blonde gave the brunette an evil look, “Don’t say that. You can clearly see how much he lov…”

Alec cut her off, “I don’t…”

She patted him on the back, “Whatever you say sweetie.” All the girls just rolled their eyes. “She just obviously either won’t or can’t see what was right…”

Mole pulled Alec out of his chair by the back of his coat. “That’s enough ladies. I think this soldier needs to get some shut eye.”

All the girls stood up in protest, “Now wait just a minute.” The red head said, with a hand on her hip. “We were just trying to help.”

Mole shook his head, and started to lead Alec out of the bar, “Not the type of help I was going for.” 

Alec allowed himself to be lead out of the bar and back to his apartment by the reptilian man, as his head was deep in thought. Or as much thought as over 3 bottles of scotch would allow. Despite the rumors, transgenics were not totally unaffected by large amounts of liqueur. “You know what Mole?”

“What?” Mole asked without any humor, and mostly out of annoyance.

“You know what I figured out?”

Mole sighed, “What?”

“Women… they are totally… totally… insane.”

Mole then started to laugh, and hit Alec on the back hard, “Now you have FINALLY come to your senses.”  
_______________________________

As the hours and alcohol started to pass, he had started to think… think and pace. Pace back and forth in his apartment. As the liqueur faded, the look on her face and her hurt in her words, echoed clearer and clearer in his head. *Everyone hates me.* He closed his eyes. *You gave me no choice.* His eyes opened again, as he sighed. "I gave her no choice." He ran his hand through his hair, "I didn't think there was any choice to make. What choice was there? Like she wasn't going to take the cure? Yeah, right." 

Alec shook his head, as the carpet seemed to be wearing out even more under his feet. "How was I supposed to know that once she got the cure she wouldn't want to run right into his arms?" He then stopped dead in his tracks. "Wait... She DIDN'T want too." 

Her words echoed once again, *You gave me no choice.* 

What did she really mean by those words? His mind was spinning. At the time he thought she was mad that he had somehow just decided to be the one to tell Logan, or something. But now... He shook his head, "No way in hell." His brain wouldn't let him think of the OTHER concept. It was just too far fetched... wasn't it? 

His heart rate speed up. "And I just sent her away. Making her think that everyone hates her. Making her go to..." He stopped again, "Oh shit." And with that he grabbed his coat and was out the door. Hoping that he wasn't to late to stop the horrible images that were playing in his mind from taking place.   
__________________________________ 

The bike came to a screeching halt outside the dark house. Alec jumped off, leaning it on its side as he raced up the steps and through the door. He stopped in his tracks as he rounded the corner into the living room. 

The long burnt candles were out. The wine glasses were empty on the coffee table. The plates of partially finished pasta were on the table. The room was dark, the lights in the place were out. He swallowed hard. He let his ears listen, not wanting to walk towards the bedroom. It was quiet... except for an occasional snore. 

His heart and his stomach dropped. They were asleep. He was too late. The choice he was hoping she had wanted was gone. Never given. He took a deep breath and was assaulted with her scent, confirming her presence recently in the room. His head dropped as he slowly walked out of the house, down the steps, and picked up the bike. 

He swung his leg over it, started up the engine and left tire marks on the pavement as he speed off into the night.

__________________________________ 

*Knock* She pulled the pillow over her curly dark hair. *KNOCK KNOCK* She sat up in bed. *KNOCK* She grabbed her baseball bat and swung her feet to the floor. *KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK* "Somebody bett'r be dying or someBODY will be!" Cindy yelled to the knocker on the other side of her door. 

She took a glance through the peep whole, dropped the bat, quickly unchained and opened the door. "What's wrong?" She asked quickly to visitor who had looked like they had lost everything in the world. 

"I didn't know where else to go." 

OC scooped up the forlorn girl in her arms, pulling her into the apartment. "Max... what the hell happened?"   
___________________________________ 

He wasn't sure how he had gotten there. It wasn't his intention, but he wanted to laugh to himself as he felt the wind hit his face as he looked down at the lights below. He took a seat on the cold surface, putting his hands in his coat pockets. He hugged the leather around himself as his eyes looked out over the Seattle skyline. 

Why had he come here? Some strange sense of hope that she would be here? Yeah right. He knew where she was. Whose arms she was in. Arms that he had forced her to go to. He squeezed his eyes shut at the thought. For the last few weeks he had done nothing but push her away. *Push? More like catapult.* 

Alec's fists hit the metal of the Space Needle. "But that's what she wanted!" He wanted to scream, because the real problem was that while he was torturing himself with the idea that maybe, just maybe she had wanted a choice other than... Logan. He wasn't for sure. And now he knew... Knew that he would never know. And maybe, he really didn't want to know. 

"What was I supposed to do?" He asked the city. "She said she wanted him. She constantly said how much she wanted me gone. I couldn't let her continue to use me as her personal punching bag. Terminal City needed..." He stopped and shook his head. She was literally driving him crazy and she wasn't even around. He was talking to NO one. 

He stood up and took a deep breath. It didn't matter anymore. He had to forget about it all, about her, and move on. It was over. He had to go back to Terminal City. Go back and finish things there. But he knew that it wasn't going to be easy. Because the best way to forget... is to not be around the thing you are trying to forget. But that was going to be *Impossible,* he thought as his eyes gazed up at the shooting stars. More lighting up the night sky than previously, as the approaching comet was getting closer.   
_____________________________________ 

"The cure," were the only words out of her mouth as Cindy dragged her over to the couch. They sat down in a heap, and Max curled up in her friends arms. 

OC tried to figure out what she meant by that as she stroked the girls hair. "You're gonna have to 'splan things to Original Cindy, Boo." 

Max hung on tighter. "Alec gave me the cure in front of Logan... Everyone in TC helped... They all wanted me... gone." The last word was choked out of her throat. 

Cindy's eyes widen as the full understanding of what was going on in Max's head hit her. She took a deep breath, and held her friend closer, "I'm so sorry Boo." And that was all she could say right now. Because even through her brain was thinking of a million things to counter it all, she knew that Max didn't want to hear them right now. "So... you want to tell me the WHOLE story?" 

She thought it would be best for Max just to talk instead of hear words from her. That, and Cindy was beyond curious as to what the hell had actually happened. While part of her knew the answer as to why Max was here and not out celebrating with... Logan. She wanted to be sure before she gave her wise advice to her friend.   
______________________________________ 

"Where have you been?" Only a look responded. "You look like shit by the way." Another look. "Hey, you scheduled the meeting. I thought those were done when the Mrs. headed for the hills." 

Mole found himself up against the wall, a hand around his neck, and coughing on the smoke from his fallen cigar in a split second. Raging pools of hazel gazed back at him, "DO NOT start with me." 

The reptilian nodded as best he could in the position, and then soon found his feet back on the floor. With a slight breeze, and the slamming of the door. The rest of the transgenics looked at each other. Mole bent over and picked up his dropped cigar, sighed, and threw it out. 

Luke looked over at Dix, "I guess we'll reschedule the meeting." 

Dix nodded, "Yeah... a week or so?"

Mole looked over at the door. "Think that would be long enough?" he asked as he rubbed his throat.   
_______________________________

Cindy leaned back against the kitchen counter taking a sip from her cup of coffee. Her eyes scanned the face of the woman setting on the stool on the other side of the counter. Even though Max had poured her heart out to her best friend the night before… well actually that morning… she still looked… haunted. 

While she had sat and listened to the whole story, she hadn’t said a word about it yet. Hadn’t given her opinion. Her thoughts on the matter. She took another sip of coffee, and then asked what seemed to be a simple question. “So… what are you going to do about Logan?”

Max cringed. “Well… we decided to take it slow.” OC gave her a look, “Okay… I decided to take things slow.” Max sighed at the look again, “Fine… I said slow to get away from him last night…. Cindy… I DON’T know what to do.”

She stood up and moved back to the couch with her cup of coffee and Cindy followed and sat on the armrest, her feet facing Max on the sofa cushion. Max curled up her feet on the couch, and rested the side of her head on her fist. “Well… you bought yourself some time. But you’re gonna have to be honest with the man, Max.”

She sighed, “But maybe I am just jumpy and not used to it. Maybe I just need to get used to being able to touch him again. I mean… it HAS been like a year that I couldn’t touch him. Wouldn’t it be natural for me to be nervous and jumpy around him? Wouldn’t be natural to want to start actually dating?”

Cindy gave her a look… “How long have you known each other?” Max sighed. “Max if you aren’t wanting to jump the man’s bones, heck… at least kiss him… you KNOW the answer to that.”

“But… I mean… it’s what I have wanted for so long… it doesn’t make any sense.”

“Sugar… it makes perfect sense.”

Max turned to her quickly… “Oh it does? Then why don’t you enlighten me?”

Cindy shook her head, “Oh no… you have to figure it out.”

She sat up quickly, moving over towards Cindy. “Oh no… you’re going to help me.”

OC shook her head and sighed. “You aren’t going to want to hear it.”

Max sat her cup on the coffee table, crossed her arms over Cindy’s knees and looked up at her with her big brown eyes, “Pleasssseeeee.”

“Oh no you don’t.”

“Cindyyyyy” Max whined.

“Fine… But Max… you don’t play fair.”

Max smiled and scooted back over on her side of the couch in triumph, as OC shook her head and sat down next to her. “You’re afraid.”

Max’s eyes widened. “WHAT?”

“You heard me Boo. You’re afraid.”

“I’m NOT afraid.”

Cindy just shook her head, “Oh yes you are.”

“And exactly what am I afraid of?”

“Love.”  
_______________________________

He opened his eyes, blinked twice letting his eyes adjust to the sunlight, and groaned looking at the clock. He sat up and threw the sheet off, grumbling softly for letting himself sleep too long as he grabbed a pair of boxers from the dresser as he walked into the bathroom. He was only supposed to let himself get an hour, trying to make up for being out all last night, and getting back the next morning.

But the short catnap had turned longer when the dreams, or nightmares seemed to take over. Her face. The look in her eyes the last time he saw her. The images of her… with him. Haunted his dreams. 

Alec turned on the shower, stepping in with a slight yelp from the cold. He took the soap and eased himself back under the water as it started to slowly heat up, lathering the soap over his chest as the steam started to fill the room. 

He was trying to forget those thoughts. Tried to push them away as the spray pounded over his muscles. Tried to wash away the memory as the water and soap washed his skin. 

But it wasn’t working, and with the shock of cold water coming from above hit him as the hot water ran out, her knew it was a losing battle. He quickly turned off the water, and jumped out. Grabbing a towel, he quickly dried off and pulled on the pair of boxers. He ran his fingers through his wet hair and walked back into the main room of his apartment.

He took out a pair of jeans, slid them on one leg at a time. Zipped then buttoned them as he looked around the room, “Now where?” He looked under the bed, pulled out a black shirt, sniffed it, and then pulled it on over his head. He sat on the bed, putting on his socks and shoes with a sigh. He had to get out of this room, had to get to headquarters. Had to get out of his thoughts, away from the silences, away from her. Had to get his mind on something else, had to get his mind to focus on the big picture, had to get his mind to stop focusing on her. On her… eyes.

Alec closed his eyes. Brown ones stared back from his closed eyelids. Hazel eyes opened. Brown ones stared back from the wall. He stood up and grabbed his coat, and quickly exited his apartment.   
_______________________________

“Love?” Max looked at her friend like she had lost it, “You have to be kidding.”

OC shook her head. “You’re afraid to love Max.”

Max stood up quickly. “Excuse me. I don’t think so. I’ve been trying for the last year to be with Logan. Trying to find a cure…”

Cindy cut her off… “And now that you have it… you aren’t with him. What does that tell you?” Max didn’t say anything. “Max… question.” Her friend looked at her, waiting. “Why did you want to be with Logan in the first place?”

“What?”

“What was it that you saw in Logan, that made you want to be with him?”

Max started pacing, and moved quicker back and forth with the frustration of not being able to come up with an easy answer. She stopped and turned with triumph to her friend when she got one, “He was the first man to accept me and want me for what I am.”

“Oh… really.” Max nodded. Cindy shook her head, “And that’s all you got?” Max tried to quickly think of something else, but Cindy raised her hand, “Because that isn’t even the truth and you know it.”

“What do you mean that’s not the truth?”

“You’re going to try and tell me that Logan accepts who and what you are?”

“Yes!”

“Really?”

“Cindy, what are you saying? That Logan doesn’t accept that I’m a transgenic? He knew what I was the night we met! And he obviously wants me. He’s said as much. His actions say as much.”

OC held up her hand again to her friend. “Granted. He wants you. Who doesn’t Boo? And of course he knows you are a transgenic… but that’s not what you said. You said he accepts you as a transgenic… do you REALLY believe that?”

Max started to say yes… but Cindy’s look made her stop and think. “I…”

“He’s not always trying to make you human? He’s not always trying to make you normal?” Max’s mouth opened, and then closed. “Trying to make you something you aren’t… that ain’t accepting who you are Max.”

She sighed, “Okay, then if you are so smart. Why would I want to be with someone so bad, when I really don’t want to be with them and shouldn’t be with them, and also can’t be with them?”

Cindy wanted to laugh, “For an excuse.”

Max threw up her hands. “That makes no sense!”

OC did laugh, “Boo… I never said you made sense.” She got an evil look.

Max sighed, “And excuse for what?” She asked backtracking.

“An excuse not to fall in love.” Max looked at her confused. OC shook her head, and tried to point out the obvious. “If you are unavailable… how can you be with someone else? If you are unavailable… you can shield your heart.”

Max shook her head, trying not to listen, but the words were sinking into her head, and slowly, so slowly… starting to make sense. She closed her eyes, “By wanting something I can’t have… I allowed myself to push everything else away.” Cindy nodded. She looked up, “I do… do that. Don’t I?” OC nodded again. “I push away the good things in my life… because… because…”

“Because you’re afraid that if you let it in… you’ll lose it.”

Max looked down, “Everyone… everything I care about always ends up…” She couldn’t finish the words. Her brain and images of her friends and family that were dead or hurt flashed through her brain. 

Cindy moved over on the couch and hugged her friend, “Hey… Boo…” A tear slipped down Max’s cheek. “You let me in. And I’m still here.” 

She got a small smile back, but then it turned into another frown. “But Cindy… I pushed so hard. I pushed too hard. And now… it’s all gone. I pushed everyone else away. I pushed MY kind away. I pushed the only people who truly understand who… what I am… away. I tried so hard to… to protect myself.” She stopped… “I did too damn good of a job at it.”

Cindy hugged her tighter as Max’s tears soaked into her pajama top.  
_______________________________

Alec walked into Headquarters and his shoulders straightened, his eyes set, and his usual smile came to his lips as he walked over the computer terminals. “Hey guys… got any new information?” He asked the two, putting a hand on Luke’s shoulder. 

Dix nodded pointed over at the telescope, “Yeah we took a look last night. It’s getting closer. We still got about a month or so.”

Alec looked over at the newer piece of equipment, “Are you sure that’s good enough. I can get a bigger one.”

Dix just shook his head, “We’re just looking at it through there to keep a real eye on it. We’ve hacked into the government satellites for more precise information on it.” 

“Besides Mole likes that one to spy on the people in Seattle,” Luke said and Alec almost choked and looked over at Mole.

Mole gave Luke a dangerous look, then turned back to Alec and shrugged his shoulders. “Just keeping an eye on the ordinaries… they do some weird stuff.”

Alec shook his head, turned to Dix, “Who would of thought our Mole is a little Peeping Tom?”

Dix coughed covering the beginning of his laugh. “Anyway… We have about a month before the Comet passes. Until then we will be getting a lot more nights of falling stars from the debris that is proceeding it.”

Luke continued, “All of it will burn up in the atmosphere. The pieces are too small to leave anything.”

“But when the comet gets closer, when it passes by…” Dix started, “Bigger pieces will come into contact, and they will not fully burn up. But will actually hit.”

Alec nodded and pointed to the screen. “Have we figured out what these symbols mean yet?”

Luke shook his head. “We’re getting closer. We have a very, very general idea of what it means. But not good enough to figure out what we need to do.”

Dix looked back at Alec, trying to decide if he really wanted to tell him what he had too. “But whatever it does mean exactly. We are going to have to work with Max to figure it all out.”

Alec sighed, and rubbed his forehead. That was one thing he really didn’t want to hear. *One month,* he told himself. He only needed to get through one more month… just one month and he wouldn’t have to see her again or in one month it would all be over… for everyone.   
_______________________________

She parked the bike at the foot of the steps, and sat there for a minute looking up at the house. The day was almost gone. It had taken her most of it to get the courage to actually come over. That and a lot of pestering from Original Cindy. 

Max sighed and swung her leg off her motorcycle and stood up. She stood up straight. Adjusted her leather coat, and took a deep breath. And with a new found determination, she started to walk up the steps. And for the first time, in a long time, she felt with each step a small weight was being lifted from her shoulders. 

A freedom that she hadn't felt in a long time seemed to sweep through her, and she had to guard against the smile that wanted to come over her face. A smile that would not be appropriate for the news she was about to break to the person inside. 

_________________________________ 

He didn't even bother to look up from his desk when there was a knock at the door. "Enter." 

The door opened, and the smell of smoke drifted to his senses confirming who had walked into the room. "Come in and shut the door behind you." 

He listed to the footsteps approach the desk, and stand on the other side. "Take a seat." 

"I prefer to stand." 

He caught the puff of smoke out of the corner of his eye, "Up to you. But we have some... things... to discuss." 

With a huff Mole sat down in the chair, "You know... I don't really like being summoned for." 

Alec stood up quickly, leaned both his hands on the desk, and stared at the lizard man in front of him, "I really don't care." 

Mole looked back at him hard. "What the hell is this all about?" 

Alec pushed himself back from the desk, and leaned back against the concrete wall. He folded his arms, "Did you really think I wouldn't hear?" 

"Hear what?" 

"Don't play dumb. I know you have been talking. Talking to the other transgenics. Both the non-human and the X's." 

Mole didn't say anything, just puffed on his cigar. It was always better to find out as much as you could before confirming or denying anything. 

"We need to make a few things clear. There will be no more talking 'bad' about Max... 452... or however it is that you refer to her." Mole sat up about to speak, and Alec cut him off. "This has NOTHING to do with me. This has EVERYTHING to do with the job we have to get done." 

"No one trusts her. She's one of them..." 

Alec waved his hand, cutting him off. "And you aren't helping to change that." 

”Why should I change that? It's not like she has been very friendly to any of us. Heck, I don't know why you even think we should help the humans." 

He ran his hand through his hair. He didn't want to get in this fight again. "No matter how much I dislike the idea... we are going to HAVE to work with her to accomplish this new MISSION." He saw Mole straighten slightly at that word. "Which means... no one here has to LIKE her, but they are going to have to have some degree of respect for her. And that means..." he leaned back over the desk again. "No more negative comments... Do we understand each other?" 

Mole took another puff on his cigar, and gave a nod. "I won't say anything negative against your precious Maxie," he said as he started walking to the door. 

"Mole!" 

The man turned to look back at Alec... "I called her precious didn't I?" The evil look that was returned was enough of a warning. "Fine." 

Mole turned back towards the door, "Oh and one more thing," Alec said. "It's also your responsibility to make sure no one else is allowed to either." 

He took the cigar out of his mouth quickly, "Oh you HAVE to be KIDDING me!" 

That's when Alec smiled, "Nope... let's just say it's your penance for all the crap you already said." 

Mole just shook his head, grumbling as he walked out of the office, slightly slamming the door as he left. 

Alec sat back in his chair with a sigh, and rubbed his temple. Now he just had to figure out a way so that he could actually still work with her. That is... if she would even talk to him.   
_________________________________ 

She flipped her hair as the door shut behind her, and she bounced down the old steps. She jumped on her baby, started up the engine and peeled down the street. The air slapping at the smile on her face. It was telling her she shouldn't be so happy about breaking a man's heart. She wasn't. She was happy at finally freeing her's. 

Her hands revved up the bike higher as she sped through the dark city. She briefly glanced up at the sky, and caught a falling star. She wished for this to the first step in taking her life back. Or in reality, actually staking a claim to one. There would be no more hiding. 

Max's phone vibrated against her hip. She quickly pulled it out, and checked the number. She let out a heavy sigh... well maybe she could stop hiding tomorrow, she thought as she turned her baby up another notch and ripped past the sector guards.   
_________________________________ 

He rubbed the antenna of his cell phone against his temple. She wasn't answering. Was he really surprised by that? That is if she even was near her phone. The thought of why she wouldn't be made him feel ill. *Stop thinking about it.* He tried to tell himself, but it wasn't working. 

Alec dialed her number again... two rings... voice mail came on. He rolled his eyes, and took a breath. "We have to talk." He paused knowing that wouldn't be enough, "It's about the runes." Then he hung up, put his phone in his coat, and left his office. 

He walked over to the computers, "Anything?" Both transgenics shook their heads. "Keep me posted," he told them as he walked out of Headquarters. He just had to get some fresh air. Well as fresh as he could get in Terminal City. 

He stopped at the alleyway. His looked towards the direction of Jonny's and then he looked towards the parking garage. Part of him said to go to Jonny's, get a drink, and be there if something came up. Another part of him, a larger part of him, screamed at him to get out for a little bit. That if he was needed, they would call. That the standoff with the outside was not going to come to a head that day, or soon at all for that matter. And any information that Dix or Luke found about the runes could wait the small amount of time it would take for him to get back to Terminal City. 

The decision made he walked to the garage and mounted his bike. It didn't take long for him to exit their small city and head out into the night, lighted by big streaks of white.   
_________________________________ 

Her mind was still debating what to do about the phone call. She knew she had to call back. She didn't want to. But she knew that he wouldn't have called her, wouldn't have left a message about the runes... if it truly wasn't important. *Especially with the way he feels.* The realization of that still hit her hard, but she tried not to think about it as she jumped out the window and onto the metal surface. 

She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath of air as she started to walk to her favorite spot. As she rounded the corner her eyes met a pair of hazel ones. A pair as shocked as hers were. Both speaking in unison, "What the hell are you doing here?"  
_________________________________

"On no." 

Dix and Luke looked up from their computers to see Mole at the telescope. "What or who are you looking at now?" Dix asked. 

"Pretty Boy..." The two got up and walked over to him, "And the bitch." 

Dix coughed on the last word. 

Mole looked at him, "Don't tell him I said that." 

"Said what?" Luke said. 

Mole nodded, "Exactly." He looked back into the telescope. 

"Where are they?" Dix asked. 

Mole just shook his head, "On the Space Needle."   
______________________________ 

He sprung to his feet, facing her. She quickly retorted, "What do mean, what am I doing here? This is MY spot." 

Alec looked down for a minute, then back up, "You come up here to 'get away' from things. What are you possibly trying to get away from?" 

"I also come here to think. To just look out at the city." 

He nodded and turned back to look at just that. "Yeah, well... I come here for those reasons too." 

She was about to comment but held her tongue, and looked at his profile watching the city. He looked... different. She couldn't exactly put her finger on it, but it looked as if he had... lost something. Some spark just didn't seem to be present. That spark that liked to get under her skin and drive her completely insane. 

Max sighed. "Well, you said you wanted to talk anyway. So what's the oh so important conversation about?" 

Alec rubbed the back of his head, "Dix and Luke could explain it to you better." 

"Oh, so they want me back in Terminal City?" she asked with a little bit of venom. 

He turned towards her, "Max... about that..." He wanted to explain, to try and make her understand. 

"No... don't. I don't want to hear it. I know how everyone feels. They don't want me back, they just have to have me back." She sighed and looked back out over the dark city, trying to not let the wetness in her eyes fall. 

Alec started to reach out to her, but he let his hand fall back to his side. He sighed, "Max... not everyone..." 

She put up her hand, "How's Joshua?" 

He swallowed, "He's okay. Misses you." 

She nodded. "So when do I need to talk to Dix and Luke? What do I have to do?" 

"The sooner the better. And I'm not sure... we're not sure exactly what you have to do yet." 

"Oh that's just great Alec. You are really informative." 

He shook his head. Same old Max. And he thought that just maybe... maybe with the cure... whatever. Defensively he snapped back, "Well we are at least weeks if not months ahead with the information than what you little boyfriend has been finding out." 

She turned quickly to him, about to retort that Logan was NOT her boyfriend when she realized that he didn't know that. Heck he had no right to know anything about her personal life. So instead she just rolled her eyes at him, "Whatever you need to tell yourself." She turned to walk back inside. "I'll come by tomorrow morning." 

He started to watch her go, "Max..." 

She turned quickly to face him, "What?" 

Alec heard the tone of her voice, saw the bounce in her step. And even though he could see the hurt in her eyes, there was something else. Something else there that hadn't been there. Hadn't been there since he had 'helped' her escape from Manticore. Helped her 'escape' back into Logan's arms that first time. He shook his head, "Nothing." She gave him a look and then turned and left. 

He turned around looking back out at the city. He had been ordered to help her 'escape' that first time into the other man's arms to kill him. But now... now he did it of his own free will and had given her the means not to kill him. He took a heavy seat back on the cold metal. Yep... she was happier out in the real world with... him.  
_______________________________

The door to Headquarters opened and the aura changed immediately. The talking stopped and the only sound was the clicking of boots against the cement as Max walked across the room and over to the small group of computers. 

Alec stood up straight from leaning over Dix at his computer. He turned to look at the rest of the room. "Is there a problem?" He asked everyone. "Because I thought you all had stuff to do?" 

Everyone quickly looked away and turned back to what they were doing and discussing. The noise level going back to normal in a matter of seconds. 

He turned back to the computer, not looking at her as she took a spot behind Luke. Alec gave a slight nod to the little transgenic. Luke nodded, "Okay Max, let's get you up too..." He caught Alec's look. Stopped, and rephrased his answer. "Let me tell you what we just found out." 

Luke pointed at the computer screen. "We have decoded many more of the symbols. All but three actually. And those are going to be difficult because they didn't turn out very well... almost like a fuzzy picture." 

Max nodded in understanding from looking at the picture. The lines on those symbols were just not as distinct as the others, or had fallen over a slight scar she had on her. Making them hard to 'read'. 

"But we have symbols that look similar to them, and are trying to place them in context with the rest to see if they make sense and will give us the bigger picture." The two X's nodded back at him, and Alec moved his hand in a circular motion. "Right... so anyway." Luke looked over at Dix. 

"Basically, this whole thing has to deal with the approaching Comet. The large series of nights with all these falling stars is just a preview to the Comet passing by." 

"Passing by... right?" Max asked, part of her fearing an actual crash landing. 

Dix nodded, "Yes, it won't hit. But as it gets closer, larger and large chunks will be coming in contact with the atmosphere... like the small ones are now. They are totally burning up in our atmosphere. But larger pieces will actually hit ground." 

"How big?" 

Luke shook his head, "Nothing that would create any serious damage... nothing structurally anyway..." he said trailing off looking at Alec. 

Alec looked back and forth to the two transgenics, realizing that neither of them wanted to be the one to actually tell Max what was going to happen. He sighed, and turned towards her. He took a deep breath, "The damage is from the microscopic virus that is inside these pieces of the comet. The big ones that hit will carry this virus." 

"Wouldn't the virus be killed by the heat of burning at least partially in the atmosphere?" Max asked him. 

"Not in the really large ones. And when they hit... and break open." 

"So what... we just have to go and find these things and contain them, right?" 

Alec wanted to laugh. "First, there will be too many to even attempt to collect. But most importantly... it's airborne." Max's eyes widened, and she wanted to sit down. 

"How... how do we know this?" 

He pointed at the screens, "From what we have deciphered. It's happened before... the last time the comet passed... roughly... a ‘few thousand years’…”

Her eyes widened, “White… the familiars… the breeding cult.”

Alec nodded towards Dix. He adjusted his eyepiece and started, “It seems their group survived the virus the last time, and almost everyone else died. Since then they have kept the immunity to themselves basically.”

The dawning of the information came over Max, a sudden understanding of the whole picture. “God… they are TRULY sick.” She wanted to shudder at how evil it all was. 

He watched the realization cross her eyes, and the range of emotions going through her. He knew she was afraid. He knew she was sick by it. He knew she was angry. He knew… because he was too. His arms wanted to go around her, tell her it would be okay, that they would figure it out… he wanted to… for both of them. *But… she’s got him to comfort her. She doesn’t want that from someone who she thinks hates her.* 

Max turned back to Luke and Dix… trying to move forward. “What can we do?”

“Well… we know we are immune to it… at least you are fully. And the rest of us… at least that we can tell… only get sick for awhile with flu like symptoms…”

“MAX!”

She quickly turned towards the direction of her screamed name, but didn’t have much time because she found herself being hoisted up in the air and spun around.

Finding her face pushed tightly into a chest, she barely heard, “You came back home!”

She pushed her face away as best she could, with her arms trapped by her side, “Joshua…” 

He sat her feet back on the floor with a huge smile on his face, and she hated to break his heart. "I'm just here for a meeting Big Fella'." 

Joshua's eyes lowered and he nodded. 

Alec coughed, "So basically..." he said turning to Dix, and refocusing the group. 

Dix quickly understood and spoke. "What we need to do is figure out exactly what Sandman was trying to accomplish. We have a pretty good idea." 

Joshua jumped in, "He wanted to save people. Go against the cult. Father was a good guy." 

Max gave him a smile and patted him on the shoulder. 

Alec nodded, "Yeah, that's what it looks like. But we need to be sure. Some more lab equipment arrived yesterday, and we have more coming in tomorrow." 

Luke agreed, "We have already had some of our lab guys working on a sample of your blood. They are making some great headway." 

Max looked at everyone. Heard everything they had to say, and then realization hit her. "Well you all seem to have everything under control. What do you need me for?" 

Alec looked at his feet for a minute. "We don't totally know where this is going. We don't know if more runes might show up on you. You need to stay in the 'loop'." 

She got it. "Okay, well... I'm up to speed." She turned to Joshua, "It was great seeing you. But I need to go." He gave her a slight frown. She didn't know what to say, and just patted his shoulder. "If you need to tell me anything else, or need me, just call." She told no one in particular as she started for the door. 

"When we do..." Alec started, "I could also fire up the computer terminal... that way..." He knew she didn't feel comfortable being there. "Also you and Josh could then..." 

She cut him off, "Nah... just use my phone," and with that she was out the door. 

He ran his hand though his hair as he watched the door shut. It had actually gone better than he thought it would have.  
_______________________________

Curly hair shook back and forth as Cindy stared at her friend on the couch. She was looking out the window lost in thought as water streaked down the window glass. OC could almost see the water reflected back on Max's face, perfectly displaying her friend’s mood. "Boo... you can't keep doing this to yourself." 

She turned to look at her, "What do you mean?" 

"Okay... you're free from Logan. You've finally opened your eyes to your little self-deceit. But now... now you have to live. And livin' doesn't mean being cooped up in Original Cindy's apartment for the rest of your life." 

Max sighed, "And where am I supposed to go? I can't just go get a job. My face is pasted all over the place. Heck... I shouldn't even be here... if anyone saw me... you would be..." 

Cindy raised her hand. "Don't even think about it. Original Cindy can take on whoever comes after her or her Boo." 

She just smiled at her friend and shook her head. "But seriously... where? Logan's?" Max laughed. "Wouldn't want to, even if I could. I did enough there to hurt both of us. I dragged him along so long, making him think there was a future... putting him in harms way..." 

"Hey... he didn't complain." 

"No... but he really thought there was something. And deep down... deep down I knew." She could admit that to herself know. "All the reluctance I had. All the times I would put us being together off... I knew... but yet I didn't. Ya know?" 

Cindy just nodded her head and came over and sat on the couch, looking out at the rain as well. "So what are you going to do?" 

"Well... I can't leave." She took hold of Cindy's hand, "And I wouldn't want to. I am truly sick of running and hiding. This IS my home. You... and Joshua are my family." She looked down, "You're all I have left." 

OC moved closer to her on the couch and hugged her, "That's not true." 

"Yes it is." 

Cindy put her hand under Max's chin and lifted it, "Listen Boo. I don't care what you believe. But everyone in Terminal City... all the other transgenics... they do not ALL hate you. Hate is such a strong word." 

Max shook her head, not wanting to listen. 

OC's hand made her stop and look at her, "No, you're going to listen to me." 

She sighed, "Fine." 

"The others... Max they hardly even KNOW you. They only know what Manticore brainwashed into their minds. Or they have only heard what others have said." 

"Yeah, but what has been..." 

Cindy didn't even want to hear it, "Oh no. I know the REAL Max. I remember the REAL Max. And while my girl has some attitude... you gotta love her." 

"Cindyyyy." Max whined. 

"Oh no... you have never given up on anything. Why are you going to start now? Why don't you get your pretty little ass back to Terminal City. Help them all out. And at the same time... be yourself. Be the self you REALLY are. Let them get to KNOW who YOU are. Then they can judge." 

She sat there looking at her friend, then a small smile spread across her face and she jumped into Cindy's arms. "You know you're the best don't you." 

"Oh, I know." OC said with a smile hugging her friend back.  
_______________________________

The sound of the knock at his door, stopped his pacing and he walked over to open it. The visitor saw him on his cell phone and came in shutting the door behind him. 

"Yeah... that's great. Okay... uh huh. Yes... yes that's right." He nodded even though the other person on the phone could not see him. "They will be there." He smiled, to the rooms other occupant and rolled his eyes, "Yes, all the money will be there." He nodded a few more times, and with an "Okay," he was off the phone. 

"More equipment for the lab?" 

Alec nodded, "Yeah, those lab techie's really like their expensive, hard to get stuff. But it will be here this time tomorrow." 

Mole shook his head, "We do all this for these humans... and they are right now surrounding this city, just waiting for us to try and get out. They want us..." 

Alec held up his hand, "Mole I don't even want to hear it. They don't ALL want us dead, or jailed, or whatever." 

He rolled his eyes in response, "Some of your little friends don't count... or all the women that you..." 

Alec stopped him with an evil stare, and Mole just laughed. 

"They don't even know what we are doing. We should get some credit." 

"Mole... If they knew we were doing it... they would question it. They wouldn't believe us... I mean think about it. A few thousand year old breeding cult, whom all happen to be human, are keeping the immunity to themselves from a virus… from a comet… so they can take over the world and populate it themselves. But… genetically engineered human – animal hybrids are really the ones trying to save them. Uh huh… yeah.”

“Well… when you put it like THAT.”

Alec walked behind his desk, sat down and put his feet up on it. “So what did you come here to discuss, cause I’m sure it wasn’t that.”

Mole took the cigar from his mouth, “The bitch is back.”

Alec almost fell over the back of his chair, and Mole laughed at him. After steadying himself and getting over the initial shock, he looked sternly at Mole, “What do you mean MAX is back? There’s no meeting with her today.”

“I never said she was here for a meeting.” He got a questioning look. “I saw her and Josh…”

“Oh… she’s just visiting…”

Mole shook his head, “If that requires her duffle bag filled with her belongings and taking over her old apartment. Then by all means, she MUST be just visiting Josh.” Hazel eyes just stared at reptilian man. “Now tell me something… Is it the cat… Max… or the mixture that’s got your tongue?”  
_______________________________

She put her last article of clothing into the drawer, and shut it with a smile. 

“Joshua is very happy to have Little Fella’ home again.”

Max turned to him, and gave him another big hug. “Well… it’s is good to be back. I missed you.” The huge smile he got on his face made her grin bigger. 

He then titled his head slightly as she went to go sit on the couch, “But what about you and Logan?”

“What about us?” She asked curling her feet up on the couch as he sat his big frame down next to her.

“Virus bitch went down. If you’re here… what about…”

She cut him off, “Josh… it’s a long, LONG story. But let’s just say… it wasn’t meant to be.”

He gave her a confused look, “You and Logan… not getting busy?”

Max almost choked, then laughed. “No Big Fella’… it’s NOT happening.” She could tell he still didn’t understand, so she tried something different. “Have you ever thought you wanted something… and you wanted it soooo much. But then… once you got it… you realized it wasn’t what you thought it was going to be?”

After a few moments he nodded, “Yeah… to get out of Manticore.”

She blinked twice… “What? What do you mean?”

“I wanted out so much. All of us did. Wanted to get out in the real world… be free.” 

She nodded, “You are free from Manticore.”

“Yes, from Manticore… but still not free. Still stuck behind walls… in Terminal City. But now… the world knows we are here. Now we are in danger.”

Max looked down realizing that more than likely the others felt the same way. While they were prisoners at Manticore, at least in some aspects… they were safe. Now… She closed her eyes, feeling the burden on her shoulders again.

A large gentle hand tilted her face up, “Not your fault.”

“Joshua… But I…”

He shook his head, “You did free us all. It’s not your fault that the real world doesn’t understand us. Doesn’t accept us.”

“Well maybe… at some point that can change.”

Joshua nodded, “Now that you are home, we can change it together.” She gave him a small smile in response.  
_______________________________

He wasn’t sure exactly what he was doing. He didn’t have anything planned to say or do. And he just knew… KNEW that it was going to go bad. But he had to get some answers. He HAD to know why the hell she had returned. Also, he hoped that maybe by finding out why she was back. Maybe, just maybe it would let him figure out for himself how he felt having her back in Terminal City. Because right at that point, he had no clue. But then again… had he ever when it came to her?

Alec sighed as he brought up his hand and knocked on her door. A few seconds later the door was opening, and he was momentarily confused seeing a chest in his line of sight. Until he looked up and found Joshua giving him a big smile. “Medium Fella’!” He was captured in a huge hug and pulled into the apartment.”

“Uhhh Josh… buddy… you saw me this morning.” He said trying to slowly pull away.

“Joshua happy because everyone back together.”

Alec looked to the side and saw Max standing quickly from the couch. They gave each other an awkward glance and then looked back at Joshua. “Uhhh, yeah. Actually, that’s why I’m here. I… I… uhhh, need to talk to Max for a little bit. Do you think you could… ummm…” He tried to think of something, “Go to Headquarters and see if Mole needs any help organizing the equipment coming in tomorrow?”

He nodded back enthusiastically, “Sure.” He looked at Max, “Gott’a go… Dinner in the mess hall?” She nodded her affirmative. He patted Alec on the shoulder and left the apartment.

They watched the door shut, and the words started before the wood had settled in the frame, “Can’t talk to me with him around?”

Alec turned to her, “Max… I just thought it would be better…”

“You thought for me again.”

He ran his hand over his face, “No… I wasn’t making the choice for you. I was making it for myself. I didn’t want to talk to you with Josh around.”

“Okay,” she said crossing her arms in front of her defensively, but sitting down on the couch, trying to look comfortable.

He tried to start talking a few times, but his mind wouldn’t let him form the words. And her just sitting there, staring at him, wasn’t helping matters. Finally, he just asked, “Why are you back?”

She stood quickly, “I have every right to be here!”

Alec closed his eyes, and raised his hands. “I never said you didn’t.” She started to object… “I asked… why you are back? Not what do you think you are doing here. There is a very big difference.”

Her jaw tensed, “With everything that is happening. I felt it was better for me to be here.”

He sighed, “But I know you don’t want to be. And… I’m not trying to make you feel…” he shook his head, “Max… you don’t NEED to be here. You’ve done enough…”

She cut him off, “Yeah… I know. I know. I let everyone out into this horrible world. I put everyone in danger. I was one of ‘09’ers. I’m not trusted, and everyone hates me. So the best thing I can do is just go away. But…” she started to turn and walk over to the other side of the room.

He reached out and grabbed her arm and turned her back around. “Not EVERYONE hates you. Heck… they don’t even KNOW you.”

Her eyes widened at his words. But she quickly pulled her arm and herself away from him, and laughed. “So I guess you’re saying I’m better off going away then. Because then the ones that don’t hate me, wont’ get to know me, and then have a reason to.”

He rolled his eyes at her. “That is NOT what I said.”

“Oh, I know what you said, and I know what you MEAN.”

“Max… don’t do this…”

“Don’t do what?” She asked, “Tell the truth?”

Alec shook his head, “There is no talking to you when you get like…”

“When I get like what?”

He clenched his fists. She was pushing him, deliberately. He could tell that. “Max… do you want me to yell? Do you want to fight? Is that what this is about?”

“Excuse me?” 

“You know what…” He was getting sick of it. “You can try and listen to me, or you can go on believing whatever you want too. But… I didn’t come here to fight. I didn’t come here to… put you down… to make you feel bad. Or whatever you think the reason is, that I’m here.” He sighed, “I just wanted to know why you were here. Because you don’t NEED to be.”

She was about ready to object again and he saw it. “And don’t… don’t even try to do the whole, ‘I see I’m not needed’ thing. That is NOT what I’m saying.” She crossed her arms in front of herself again, waiting. He ran his hand though his hair again. Why did she have to make everything so difficult? He turned towards the door. 

He put his hand on the knob, and then stopped. He turned back to her. “Max… all I was trying to say was that you’ve done so much already. You deserve to be happy. And from what I’ve heard you say for the last year… Seattle, your friends, and Logan… make you happy.” She looked at the floor at his words. He shook his head with a sigh. “So you don’t HAVE to be here. If you want to be here… that’s fine. Just let me know where I can reach you.” And with that he walked out the door.

She stood there, her brain not really functioning. The door shut, and she blinked. “What was that about?” she asked the empty apartment.  
_______________________________

“A little early for dinner isn’t it?”

Hazel eyes looked up at the green face. “Just wanted to get it in, and get back to the office.” He looked at the tray that Mole held as he sat down in front of him. “Besides… you should talk.”

Mole took out his Cigar, put it out, and grabbed a fork. “I missed lunch. I’ll be back later.” 

“Why did you miss lunch? Nothing is happening.” He said pushing a mouthful of something green into his mouth.

“Well, I was talking with Dix about some things, and it was getting late. Decided to have a late lunch… then when I was about to go… good old dog boy comes in.”

Alec looked down at his plate, and wondered if he could finish it before Mole continued.

“And says… YOU… wanted him to see if I needed any HELP.”

He looked up slowly from his plate and tried not to laugh, “Sorry man. It was the first thing that came to mind when…”

“When you wanted to be alone with Mrs…” He stopped quickly, “with Max.”

“I didn’t want to be ALONE with her… I needed to talk to her.”

Mole rolled his eyes, “And did you actually talk?”

Alec sighed, “No…” Mole’s eyebrow, or what could be considered an eyebrow, shot up. “Mole!” He shook his head at the lizard, “We… argued.”

“Like always.”

“You aren’t helping.”

“I do my best.”

Alec sighed again, “You know… you two aren’t that different.”

Mole choked on the brown stuff he had put in his mouth, spitting it slightly as he pounded a fist at his chest… “Excuse me?”

He gave a large smile, “You both try and piss me off.”

Mole smiled, “Yeah… but I do it out of love.” 

Alec rolled his eyes, and leaned back in his seat shaking his head, “Oh, don’t let the others hear it. They might get jealous.”

He laughed at that, and bravely took another bite of food, then turned to the two incomers. “Well, your tactic to avoid Joshua and his dinner mate… yes … I KNEW… he wouldn’t shut up about it by the way… did not work.”

Alec quickly looked in the same direction, sat up, and leaned over his tray with a hand to his forehead. 

Mole shook his head, “Do you really think you can hide? There is only one other table in here with people at it. And you just know that once Josh sees…”

“Alec! Mole!”

“Like I said,” he said quietly. 

Soon Joshua was at the table, a reluctant Max a few feet behind him. “You came early too! Can we join you?”

Alec looked over at Max, then back to Joshua, “Sure… why not?”

He quickly sat down next to Mole, leaving the seat next to Alec wide open. 

Max looked at the chair, then to Alec, then at Joshua’s smile. She sat her tray down, and then she sat slowly. 

“I didn’t know why Little Fella wanted to come to dinner so early. She must have good intuition that you both would be here.”

Alec and Max sighed, both knowing just how UNTRUE that statement was. 

_______________________________

The table was extremely quiet, well except for one person. Joshua was excitedly telling them about all kinds of things. A joke that Dalton had told him. Him helping out Gem with her new school. A painting that he was doing on the outside wall of Headquarters. 

Alec gave Mole a small smile. He had to give Mole props for trying to listen and looking at least partially interested. Mole knew that Josh was a good kid, and he suspected that was why he put up with his childlike enthusiasm to life. But it was also more than that. Joshua was in a sense... family. They all were. A very strange family, but still family. 

She sat there pushing stuff around her plate. Normally she loved listening to Joshua talk about his day. It always made her smile. How much enthusiasm he had about such simple things. But she was extremely uncomfortable sitting there. The two other people at the table made her anxious. She KNEW that Mole didn't like her. She knew that from the beginning. They just rubbed each other the wrong way, and held totally different views on almost everything. But the person setting next to her bugged her the most. She was still trying to figure out what she thought about what he had said before he left her apartment earlier. She had no clue what to think. 

If she had to think of one word to describe what she felt about the person next to her, frustration would come to mind. Name the type, and it more than likely existed. Whenever they were together, or when she thought about him, she just wanted to... to... well. ARG.

She sighed and hazel eyes briefly looked at her, and then quickly turned back to Joshua. Then a voice startled her. 

"Hate to do this buddy, but I gotta get back to work." Alec said standing quickly and grabbing his tray. 

Mole stood quicker than an X5, "Me too." 

Alec walked around the table and patted Joshua on the shoulder, "It was nice having dinner with you two." He said and walked away with Mole close behind him. 

"Bye." Joshua called after them and turned back to Max with a large smile. But then he cocked his head to the side, "Upset they had to leave?" 

Max thought about it for a second, "Actually. I'm not sure."   
_______________________________

The supply list starred back at him, but he couldn't focus on it, and actually he didn't want to. There were two reasons for that. The one was that he didn't want to, he shouldn't have to. He was a soldier. He shouldn't have to be stuck behind a desk, calling contacts to get supplies. But he had too because he was the best person there to do it. But it didn't mean that he had to like it. 

Manticore had designed them to be the perfect soldier. And he was fighting his body’s urge to go grab some heavy artillery, and take out the people holding him and his own hostage in Terminal City. Get the heck out of there, and regroup somewhere safe. And then let the familiars and the humans destroy each other. But the problem was that Manticore didn't make the perfect soldier. Because if they did... they wouldn't have let them think. Wouldn't have let them have emotions. 

And that... that was the second thing that was bothering him. How much easier it would be if Manticore had gotten rid of those emotions. Oh they tried. And they damn well nearly succeeded. 

Part of him wish they had. 

*No.* He knew that he wouldn't have wanted to forget that. But this time... he wasn't so sure. This was completely different. Basically because this time he had no clue exactly how he felt at all. *One minute...* he sighed, *and then the next.* He wanted to scream. She was just so... so... "Frustrating," he finally said out loud. 

Alec sat the list on the desk, stood up, grabbed his coat and phone and walked out of his office. He had to get out of the cage for a little bit before he went nuts.   
_______________________________

She walked through the dark parking garage and smiled as she got to her bike. She needed to get out, and feel the wind hit her face. It was the best way for her to think. Max got on, started the engine and speed out of Terminal City. 

Hazel eyes watched her leave from a darkened corner, watched her leave Terminal City with a smile on her face. He knew why she was happy, and where she was going, or whom she was going to. 

Alec slowly walked over to his bike, swung a leg over and sat there for a moment. Now not so sure if he wanted to leave. Really, what was there to think about? Even if he could figure out what he was feeling, it didn't really matter. 

*Why even bother trying to figure it out? You can't even go there. So just forget it buddy.* Maybe that was why it bugged him so much. His own words coming back to haunt him. *I fall for the ones I can't have.* Was that the reason? He swallowed. The reason he had feelings for her? He shook his head and turned on the engine, revving it a few times. Boy was he messed up. And with that he zoomed out of Terminal City and into the night.   
_______________________ 

He sat on the cold metal letting the wind hit his leather coated body. His arms crossed over his knees, his chin resting on them, as his eyes looked out of the city lights. Why did he come here? As she would say it was her spot not his. And did he really need a spot? *Damn it. She does NOT own the Space Needle. Seattle.... or me.* 

He closed his eyes. In truth part of him had hoped that she would have been up here. Sure they would have argued. But at least... she would have been there, and not... 

Alec shook his head, *Don't go there.* It was better on him not to even think about it, or the grotesque images that would follow from entering his brain. 

"Okay," he said out loud. "Why? Why are you having trouble with this? Why would you even have feelings for Max?" he asked himself. Hoping that some inspiring answer would be brought forth from himself. 

"It's not like you EVER had anything with her. It's not like she EVER showed you any interest. She hates your guts and tells you that she wants you to leave. Heck... she says it was a mistake to have saved your life." 

He sighed again because even though he said that, this little voice in his head told him that those statements weren't true. "What the heck do you know? Huh? The only other girl you ever had feelings for you basically killed." 

If only he could feel the same about her that she did for him. It would make his life so much easier. He laid back on the hard surface and looked up at the shooting stars. Finding one he closed his eyes and wished for just that.   
_______________________________

"Sit still." 

"It itches." 

Cindy rolled her eyes, "Big Baby. This was YOUR idea," she said as she put in another hairpin. 

Max looked back into the mirror, at least this time she was a red head. She really didn't like being a blonde. It just didn't go well with her skin tone. "It's the only way I can go out with my girl." 

OC smiled back at her through the mirror. "Well we won't be going anywhere if you don't let me get this fastened to your head." 

"Fine. I'll be good." She sat there, but then her foot started bobbing back and forth. 

"Boo." 

"Okay... I'm impatient. It's been ages since I've went out and had some fun." She looked down, and moved part of her shirt aside, checking for the millionth time that the thermal device to disguise her temperature was still affixed to her skin. She then looked back up, "Sketchy's going to be there too, right?" 

Her friend nodded her head as she fastened the last pin. "Yep, and you my dear are all set. Nice, long, red, wavy locks. No one will recognize you. Heck... I barely do." 

Max stood quickly, grabbing Cindy's arm. "Good... let's get out of here!" She ran out of the apartment with a laughing OC in tow.   
_____________________________ 

He parked the bike and looked up at the blinking pink and green lights. He sighed into his phone, "I don't know about this." 

"Oh no, you are not backing out again," came the voice from his cell phone. 

"I should be getting back." 

"Forget it man. You owe me," echoed the voice in his ear. 

"I OWE you?" 

"Yeah. All those times I had to hand over my paycheck to you for those games of pool. Totally unfair man. Totally." 

"Sketchy... my man..." he said as he stood up and started walking into the club. "Genetic engineering had nothing to do with me beating you." 

"But..." 

"Man... you just suck at pool." He walked around the corner, and then turned off his phone, pocketing it as he nodded at his friend in the line. He walked over to the bouncer, nodded again, and then pointed at Sketchy. The large man tiled his head, and another allowed Sketchy to follow Alec into the club. "Okay, now you're in. I can..." 

"Oh no. You aren't leaving. Live a little." He motioned for two beers, "What happened to the party animal?" 

Alec rolled his eyes, "All partied out." 

Sketchy grabbed the beers from the bartender, leaving some money. He handed one to Alec, "Whatever." He thumbed over to the pool tables, "Another game? Just for old times?" 

Alec smiled, took a swig of beer, and nodded, "Awhhh why not." The two guys headed over to the tables, each grabbing a pool stick. He motioned to his friend, "Better let you start. At least give you a chance." His cocky smile starting to come back to his face as he took another drink. 

The other man walked around the table, getting ready for his shot. "Hey... you have missed before." 

"I only miss when I want too." 

Sketchy shook his head, "Yeah right. You lost to Loga..." 

Alec gave him a look. 

"You did! You lost money to him too." 

He just took another drink of his beer. 

Sketchy looked at him. "Why would you?" He shook his head. "Nah. You're just pulling my leg." He got another look. "Seriously?" 

Alec just laughed.   
_______________________________

The green and pink florescent lights danced over her white halter and black, short, leather skirt as she walked up to the door with OC by her side. She turned to her friend, “You sure we shouldn’t wait for Sketchy out here to make sure he gets in?”

“I’m not waiting for that fool. If he’s got problems he can call. He’s got ya’ number.”

Max smiled and nodded, and then started to move her head to the music that was coming from the club. The girls gave the guard big flirtatious smiles, and he nodded for them to enter. 

If the music was loud outside it was deafening inside the building. The lights had a much easier time moving around the place than the massive wall of people on the dance floor or at the bar. 

“Kamikaze shots?” 

Max turned quickly to a girl with a tray of green and yellow liquid filled tubes. She gave her a few bills, took two, and handed one to Cindy. “Have to start it out right!”

“You got it girl!” Cindy yelled back over the loud music. She held up the shot, “To… the night my Boo got her groove back!”

Max laughed, and they both downed the drink. Max took Cindy’s hand and raised it in the air, “Shall we?” she asked pointing to the dance floor.

“Oh… we shall.” Cindy said and they navigated their way through gyrating bodies, trying to find a little bit of room to dance in.

They found a small space and each let their bodies be taken over by the music. Max’s fake set of red waves bounced, as did the rest of her as she moved with everyone else on the dance floor.   
_______________________________

“Are you really sure you want THAT pocket?” 

He nodded.

“Really… cause that’s all the way over there.” Sketchy said pointing, “And there are lots of other balls in front…”

Alec gave him a look, “You WANT me to take an easier shot?”

Sketchy sighed and leaned on the side of the table, “You just want to show off.”

He smiled, pulled the pool stick back through his skilled fingers and then quickly brought it back through hitting the cue ball perfectly, spinning just at the right angle. The white hit black, and the black saw nothing but pocket. 

He stood up straight. “Yeah, basically,” he said answering his friend’s statement. They handed over the pool sticks, grabbed their beers and headed over to the edge of the room overlooking the rest of the club. “So… now what?”

Sketchy just looked at him, “Man… if YOU have to ask ME that… you have gotten rusty.” He looked over the crowd, “Now I’m sure you still have a little magic in there… why don’t you go round us up some Honey’s?”

“Us?” Alec asked.

“I’m still playing the ‘you owe me’ card until it runs out.”

He got a laugh in response, “Or maybe otherwise we’ll be here all night waiting for you to get anything.”

“Hey… I’m not that bad.” Off another look, “Well… not anymore.” He gave a smile, “I learned a few things.”

Alec laughed, “Okay Romeo. Who?” he asked indicating the crowd. Sketchy put a hand to his chin in thought as he looked over all the potential possibilities.  
______________________________

She did a backwards dip, and Cindy helped pull her back to her feet. She gave a large smile to her friend and both continued moving to the music. OC then leaned in and thumbed in the direction of the phones. "I'm gonna call Sketchy. You good?" 

Max nodded that she would be fine until OC returned, and turned and started to again move with the crowd. Bodies moving against each other on the tiny floor. She couldn't remember the last time she had so much fun, so much... freedom. She hated the fact that she was still hiding under the fake red hair and makeup. But at least she was out.   
__________________________ 

"Man... I don't care. Take your pick... I'm seriously not picky." 

He laughed at his friend as he looked out over the crowd. He didn't want to pick. Truthfully, 'working his magic' had lost it's appeal for many reasons. It was just too easy. That made him sigh again. What did he like about challenges so much? If the challenge wasn't there, would it be the same? 

He shook his head to forget it, and keep with his earlier train of thought. But besides the easy factor... all the women out on that dance floor were human. Not that he really had anything against humans. Not that he couldn't fall in love with one. He swallowed hard at that, and pushed it away too. But he was right, what he had told Max, told Asha. The transgenics were a danger to them, and vice versa. Maybe one day it would be okay. But he knew that day was far, far off. 

Then there were the other reasons as well. He sighed to himself again. He didn't want to just go and find someone. The someone he wanted was... He stopped again. *No use even going there.* 

He stopped and turned to Sketchy when his friends phone rang. Alec could hear OC's voice coming through, but Sketchy was straining to hear her. "What?" He screamed into the phone, and then motioned 'one minute' to Alec and moved back towards the pool tables so that he could try and hear her. 

Alec took another drink of his beer and turned back to the crowd. *Oh come on. Live a little! She is! And she isn't taking your advice.* Part of his mind told him. He straightened his shoulders, sat his mug on a table and headed out into the crowd, his eyes scanning all the ladies as he went, looking for... what? He wasn't sure, but maybe he would find it.   
_______________________________

She tried to hear him over the phone, "What do you mean you're already there?" 

"Yeah, we're in." Came back the voice. 

"We're? You and who?" Cindy yelled back. 

"Wha? I can barely hear.." 

She cut him off, "Where are you?" 

"What?" 

OC rolled her eyes, and screamed into the phone, "WHERE are YOU?" 

"Pool..." 

That was all she needed and hung up, and tried to navigate her way back to the pool tables.   
____________________________________ 

His mind kept dismissing them. Each one he turned to, he moved to the next. They were all the same. Well... not the same. They had different color eyes, hair, skin, and slightly different body types. It wasn't that he was looking for something... different. Just... well... *Different.* He laughed to himself at the thought. *Oh, like that makes sense.* But in a way, it made perfect sense. 

Then he noticed it. The attention in the room was sort of being focused towards part of the dance floor. It was barely noticeable, but it was there. The turning of the heads of people to catch a glimpse, but act as if they didn't. The eyes of the males holding a lustful look, the eyes of the women were... well... mixed, but envy turned most of their eyes green. 

He tried to see what or whom more than likely was getting everyone's attention. He caught a glimpse of auburn and then it was gone. 

Alec moved through the crowd, lightly pushing away the feminine hands and bodies that came in contact with him. His eyes moved back up glimpsing tantalizing white strings dangling over caramel skin before another person moved in front of him. 

He walked around the person and his eyes caught the hop and twist of long bare legs up to black leather. "Hey, handsome. Wanna dance?" came a voice in his ear before the girl popped into his sight. 

Alec gave her a smile, "Sorry, I can't. I'm trying to..." He motioned at the crowd, "Get to someone." She gave a disappointed look and drifted off to the side. 

He cut his way through the moving arms and legs, his eyes intent on the direction of his destination. 

Red waves moved and swayed to the beat of the music before they fell out of view, only to spring back an instant later with long arms moving over her head and swinging with the rhythm. 

He wished she would turn around. He wanted to see her face. But he was sure, from how other people were reacting to her, that wasn't a worry. But still a face to go with the body that was calling to him would be nice. 

But it wasn't just her body. It was the way she moved. It wasn't that she was the best dancer he had seen. He had seen better... had better. It wasn't that she was graceful. She was no ballet dancer. 

The moves seemed familiar. As if he should know them. Or... had used them? He shook his head, he didn't use those moves to dance. Something else then? But what? Another person quickly moved into view and he had to stop his hand from automatically jerking and taking out the possible threat. 

Once again he politely moved out of the girls reach and offer. His brain clicking in gear. The moves were adapted forms of martial arts. His eyes danced and the corner of his mouth turned upwards at the idea. 

Then there was also the attitude. Yes the girl had attitude. It seemed to bring him closer. But there was something else he couldn't quite put his finger on. But he would soon, very soon. As his body moved up behind hers, his mouth moving to her ear, his lips open ready to speak.   
__________________________________ 

"Why'd you hang up on me?" He asked as she came up and hit him on the shoulder. "Hey," he said rubbing his shoulder, "What was that for?" 

"Fool. I was on a pay phone. I can't exactly bring it with me to find your ass." 

Sketchy put away his cell phone, mumbling, "Well you didn't have to hit me." 

OC rolled her eyes, "Men are such babies." She looked around the room, then back at him, "So... who is this we?" 

"Huh? What?" 

She shook her head, "WE? You said we got in. Are you having double personalities or is someone with you?" 

"Oh yeah. Alec got me in." 

Cindy did a double take. "Alec's here?" 

Sketchy smiled and nodded. He then pointed out to the crowd, "Going to get us some Honeys." 

OC looked out over everyone, "Oh crap." 

"What?" he asked back clueless. 

"Max has no idea he's here. Why did he come? She's under the impression that he hate's her." 

"Why would he hate her?" Cindy rolled her eyes. She could name about a zillion hits, beatings, name-callings, and oh... the ever-present wish of death or dismemberment. Sketchy saw that, "Uhh yeah, right. Ummmm. Well..." 

"Sketchy..." 

"Uhhh." 

"SKETCHY!" 

"I uhhh, didn't tell him." 

"You WHAT?" She looked back out at the dance floor for Max. "Oh Shit."   
_______________________________ 

He took a deep breath, as he was about to speak and stopped instantly. The words, the proposition about to come from his lips falling completely to the side as his hand took the girl by the arm spinning her around. "What are you doing here?" 

Dark brown eyes widened. Full red painted lips parted in shock. It took her a minute to figure out the male presence that had approached her from behind was actually... "Alec?" 

"Max... What are you doing here? Everyone know’s what you..." 

She cut him off, not listening fully. "I can go where ever I want to." 

He looked around, and saw the stares they were getting. He spoke up so everyone could hear, "Last time I let my girl out of my sight." He then pulled her quickly through the crowd back to the pool tables. 

She struggled against his grip but walked with him. Her arm hitting his shoulder, "Let go of me." He turned once they got to a quieter area, and let her arm go. Her eyes were filled with fire as she looked back at him. "Why the HELL did you say that?" 

He sighed, "We were creating a commotion. It was the first thing I could think of to explain our behavior." 

"Great. Just great." 

"Oh whatever Max. Like it matters." 

She poked him in the chest. "It does matter. Now everyone here thinks I'm here with you." 

"So?" 

"Then the other guys won't dance with me or hit on me!" 

He looked at her like she was insane. "You want them to? Why?" He looked around. "Where's Logan?" He gave her a strange look, "Wait... you two aren't..." 

She stopped and sighed about ready to admit it when he continued. 

"Freaky are you?”

“What?”

“Looking for a third?” Her eyes widened. “Wait… I get it… he gets turned on seeing you with someone else.” He scanned the people again, “I have to give him props. He’s hidden himself…”

“Ughhhh,” she yelled pushing his shoulder back towards her. “Logan’s NOT here. And… GROSS.”

He was about to make a comment, but then his brain heard what she said. “Why isn’t he here? You’re here without him? Why?”

She groaned, “I do have friends that want to see me. This…” she said indicating the dance club, “isn’t exactly Logan’s thing…”

Alec laughed slightly. Wasn’t that the truth? His eyes glanced around and saw OC and Sketchy trying to make their way over to them. He nodded, “Okay. I see. But Max… it’s not safe for you to be…”

She rolled her eyes. “I’ve got the ‘thing-a-ma-jig’ for my temperature readings on.”

“But someone could recognize you.” 

“Hence the wig and make-up.” She titled her head sideways. “Besides how are they going to recognize me when you didn’t.”

“I did too!”

She shook her head at him and put her hand on her hip, “Not until you were right there, basically on top of me.” 

He wanted to object, he really did. But she was right. It wasn’t until he had been close enough to her to catch her scent that he knew it was her. Now that he looked back on it, he should have known. All the signs pointed to her, which made him feel even more uncomfortable. And her next words didn’t help matters.

Max looked at him, another realization coming to her. “As a matter of fact, you approached me as if you were…”

He stopped her, “Oh don’t even give me that Max. Why were so shocked to see me when I turned you around then?” 

She started to talk, but stopped. He was right. She had been shocked. She knew he was there. Well… not him exactly. But she knew that a male was approaching her, and she had let him. “I was distracted, dancing.”

“Oh… great excuse Maxie. That just proves my point that it’s not safe.”

She threw her hands up in the air. “And why do you care?” 

Was she serious? Did she really want him to list the reasons? 

Max closed her eyes and waved her hand, “Nevermind. I know the answer. This whole familiar… comet thing.”

“Well… yeah… but…” He didn’t get to finish.

“There you two are!” Cindy yelled when she got to them. She slapped Sketchy upside the head, “Bonehead here forgot to mention that Alec was coming.” She turned to Alec, “Hey sugar, how ya doing? I haven’t seen you in ages.” She said and reached out to him. 

He gave her a quick hug back, “Okay. They’ve been keeping me busy at Terminal City.”

She grinned at him knowingly, “They huh? Well you better tell your boss over there to give you a break now and then.”

He laughed, “Yeah, I’ll do that.” Alec looked at everyone, and then turned back to OC. “Well, since you guys have all met up. And you weren’t planning on me coming…”

“Awh man no.” Sketchy said, “Don’t go.”

Alec shook his head and looked at Max. “I need to get back to Terminal City. I know they want me there. And what can I say,” he said with a smile, “I like to be where I’m really wanted.” He looked back at OC and Sketchy. “You guys have fun, and I’ll see ya soon.” He lightly hit Sketchy on the shoulder, turned, and headed towards the door.

“Hey… Man… stay…” Sketchy yelled after him, but Alec’s back was already more than halfway to the door. He sighed and turned back to the girls. “What was THAT about?”

OC looked at Max crossing her arms. Max looked at the retreating form that back to Cindy, “What?” Cindy gave her a look. “What?”

“He still doesn’t know.”

“Know what?” Sketchy asked.

Max sighed, “I don’t see what Logan and me breaking up has to do with him leaving like that?” Sketchy almost dropped his beer. “It was obvious… he was trying to tell me that people should be where they are wanted.”

“Huh?” Sketchy asked, “and wait… you and Logan aren’t?”

Cindy waved away his words, “He was not saying…”

“Yes he was. He was trying to get me out of Terminal City again.”

“Boo… that is not…”

Max shook her head. “Hey, we’re here to have some fun. Not to argue. She took one of OC’s and one of Sketchy’s hands and pulled them towards the dance floor. “Come on… let’s dance!”

Her two friends allowed themselves to be pulled out onto the floor behind her. They looked at each other, both sighing, knowing that their two other friends had a long way to go to figuring each other out. Especially when they were both so much alike. So… so… stubborn.   
______________________________

The needle withdrew from her arm, and a cotton ball was quickly put in its place. The nurse’s hands moved away, and her own fingertips placed pressure on the cotton. 

“Now that wasn’t so bad, now was it?”

Max gave him an evil glare. “Why don’t you sit here and get poked with some needle then?”

He shuddered slightly, “No… that’s okay. Been there, done that.” 

She looked around at the others in the room. Some getting treated. Some treating the others. And some doing work on the lab equipment. “We all have.” She sighed.

Alec cleared his throat, “Well hopefully those two pints of blood will help our lab guys make that cure.”

She didn’t want to think about it, but she knew she had too. Dix and Luke had deciphered the rest of the runes ‘message’. She looked back at him, and gave him one of his own smart aleck smiles, “It’s not a cure.”

He rolled his eyes at her, “Okay. Fine. Miss technical. It’s to make another virus that produces the antibodies that will protect everyone from the… ‘killer… comet… virus’.” His tone going into that B-horror movie sounding voice. 

She tried not to laugh, and accomplished it by hitting him in the shoulder, “Grow up! This is serious.” She looked down and removed the cotton ball, and threw it in the trash. “Why are you here bugging me anyway?”

He sighed, “Just wanted to make sure everything went okay, and to get an update from the techies.”

Max nodded, “Uh huh. You just wanted to make sure I did it.” She hopped down off the table quickly, too quickly. While it was safe for her to give that much blood being an X5, it didn’t mean her body was going to like it. The room spun and faded.

Alec saw her eyes go unfocused and his arms reached her before she had a chance to fall. His reflexes pulling her to his chest to hold her upright. Her head tilted backwards, her eyes closed. His hand went to the side of her face. “Max?” came the concerned voice from his mouth. Her lips parted slightly, her head lulled slightly as he looked down at her. 

His fingers lightly caressed the side of her face, “Wake up Max.” Her face turned slightly into his touch, and her eyes started to flutter open. “Yep, that’s it. Open those eyes.” Brown slowly found hazel, and started to focus. He smiled at her with a small part of relief. “Welcome back.”

She looked up at him. Felt his arms around her, felt her arms pinned up against his chest, his face still so close to hers. His lips moving, forming words, that she couldn’t quite hear. The movement of them mesmerizing her.

She wasn’t moving or talking. But the one thing that worried him most was that she wasn’t trying to get away or beat the crap out of him. “Max? Max are you okay?”

She saw his lips move again, and in her dreamlike state she unconsciously licked her lips at the tantalizing view.

He saw her tongue dart out and moisten her lips. He swallowed hard when he looked back at her eyes that were starring at his mouth. And he could barely form the sentence, “Can you hear me?”

Finally the words entered her brain, and she shook her head lightly trying to clear it. Then her mouth finally got out, “Alec?”

He nodded and smiled again, “Yeah…”

Then her bearings came back in full force, and she broke from his hold, trying to get away. Embarrassment fuelling her anger, “What the…” She stumbled backwards. 

His arms caught her again. “Max… Calm down. You’re just dizzy…”

She didn’t want to hear it. She would rather be angry then admit she had fainted, and was feeling like she was going to again. “Let go…”

Alec held her tighter to him, “Do you really want me to let go, and have you fall completely on your ass?” He said quietly into her ear.

Max gave up the fight to pull away, which she had been greatly losing, due to many factors, some of which she did not want to admit. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “Fine.” She finally said in defeat. 

He held her up until he could feel her own body start to support herself. “Better?” She nodded slightly. “How about we head over to the mess hall and get some food in you?” She nodded again in reluctance. “Are you going to let me help you get there, or will I get my ass kicked?”

“Just this once.”

“Okay. Just this once.” He let her pull herself away, but kept one arm wrapped around her side as they walked to the door and outside.

She stole a small glance at him, and then looked straight ahead again. He wasn’t saying anything. He wasn’t teasing her. It bothered her. But not as much as her reaction to everything back there. But the main thing… why was he being so nice? That question nagged at her, and then finally. She stopped walking and he almost tripped over his own feet. “Max are you…”

She stopped him raising a hand, “Why?”

He gave her a confused look. “Why what?” Then he thought he knew, “Max… seriously there is nothing to be embarrassed about. You gave quite a bit of blood…”

She shook her head, “No. I know that.” She did know why it happened. It didn’t mean she had to like it. “That’s not what I meant.”

“Then what did you mean?”

She groaned and closed her eyes. Sometimes he was just impossible. But then another part of her brain told her that she wasn’t being to clear herself. “Why are you being so… nice to me?”

He actually did a double take at her words. Nice to her? Was she serious? She thought he was being NICE, and… she wasn’t going to try and kick his ass? “Why wouldn’t I be?” Did she really think so low of him that doing something as simple as catching her when she fainted and then helping her get something to eat was to much to ask for from him?

She pulled away from his arm around her, glad that she didn’t feel dizzy again, her strength already returning. “I know how you feel. You made it quite clear awhile ago. And being ‘nice’ isn’t going to help to get me back out of Terminal City.”

Alec closed his eyes, and used his now free hand to rub his forehead. “Max… I don’t know how many times I have tried to tell you… you have it all wrong.”

“I have it wrong? Wrong? What do I have wrong Alec? Huh? You pinned me up against the wall and basically told me you weren’t going to take anymore shit from me. That you were the boss. Then you handed me the cure and that device telling me to basically get the hell out of your city and that no one wanted me here.”

His eyes tightened and his heart clenched, his mind replaying all the events. And he could see how she would see it like that. But she didn’t have the whole picture. But before he could say anything she continued. “But the whole comet and my runes fucked it all up. And now you are stuck with me.”

Then Max laughed, “Wait. Nevermind. You don’t need to answer my question. I answered it myself.” And with that she started walking to the mess hall on her own. 

He shook his head, and watched her walk away for a minute in a daze, then he quickly followed her. “What? What did you answer?”

She started walking faster, not looking at him as he kept to her side. “You’re only being nice to protect the precious ‘cure’ in my body.” Water started to fill her eyes and she moved even quicker, trying to get away from him. 

Alec shook his head, as he stepped up the pace. His senses already making his heart drop from the knowledge that she was on the verge of tears. Not to mention the hurt her thoughts and words were causing him. “Max… please… listen to me.”

She shook her head as she got to the door of the mess hall. His hand reached for her arm and turned her around. He saw the brown of her eyes swimming as she tried to look away. “The ‘cure’ was NOT the reason I was being ‘nice’ to you.”

Max shook her head, “Oh really?” He nodded. “Honestly. It had NOTHING to do with it?”

That wasn’t fair. Of course it had SOMETHING to do with it. The whole human population could die if they didn’t get this thing to work. If something happened to her. But that was not the MAIN reason, or even in the top ten. “Well… not… nothing…” he admitted. “But…”

She nodded, “See.” Then wrenching her arm from his grasp she propelled herself into the mess hall. His shoulders slumped as he watched her form become hidden from his view as the door shut.  
______________________________

“So wait… let me get this straight. The human…”

“Logan.”

“As I said, the human.” He let out a puff of smoke, “and the bitc… uhhh Max aren’t… as you put it… ‘getting busy’.”

Joshua nodded.

“Interesting. Very interesting.” Mole said as he took a bite of his food. He looked back over at Joshua. “And why is this exactly?”

“Well… Max said…” He was cut off by the slamming shut of the mess hall door. Both men turning towards the sudden commotion.  
______________________________

She walked in and grabbed a tray slamming it down on the counter. Her hands came up quickly to wipe away the water from her eyes. Her hands took the tray again, her knuckles white as she straightened her shoulders. Her senses then kicked back into gear realizing she wasn’t alone. She looked at the room’s other occupants. Mole and Joshua looked back at her from their table, as did the eight or so other transgenics in there for breakfast.

Joshua was about ready to stand and she knew he was coming over to see if she was okay but she waved him off. She took a breath and started to move down the counter looking for what she wanted. She wasn’t hungry. After her little discussion she actually felt sick. Here she was wondering why he was being nice to her. A sense of hope had actually run through her only to be stomped on. 

She didn’t get to choose what she wanted to eat though, because the mess hall door was flying open and shut with a hard bang. She whirled around to find him there. His eyes large, angry, and… determined. Her eyes briefly caught everyone stop eating again, “Alec… this isn’t…”

“I don’t care if this isn’t the place!” He yelled then motioned to everyone, “If you don’t want them to hear what I have to say, then STOP walking away from me before I can explain things!”

“ME walk away? I seem to remember you walking out of my apartment! And you walked out of Crash! And you…”

He threw up his arms, “But you weren’t in the middle of trying to explain things. I NEVER walked out while you were talking.”

She gripped the tray tighter in her hands. “Well maybe I just don’t want to hear what you are going to say. Sometimes it’s better not to hear the words!”

He actually wanted to take the tray away from her and beat her upside the head with it. “God MAX, you are so… sooo..”

“What?” 

“FRUSTRATING!”

“ME?” She shook her head, “Me?” and then pointed at herself. “I’m the frustrating one? You’re one to talk!”

Alec looked at the still quite room. All eyes still on them. He sighed, “Okay, that’s it.” He pulled the tray from her grasp setting it on the counter, and took her wrist with his other hand.

“What do you think you are doing?”

“We NEED to talk.” He looked straight into her brown depths. “And not with all the other ears in this room.” Her eyes darted around again and back. Her jaw tensed and she relented. She pulled her arm from his hand and walked out in front of him, the door closing behind both of them.

“Damn… We don’t get to see the end of the show.” Mole commented to no one in particular.   
______________________________

They didn't speak. They didn't talk until her apartment door was closed behind them. She turned towards him, "Well I guess your being 'nice' is over. Cause I didn't get my breakfast." 

He rolled his eyes at her, "Well you seem to be just fine now. You can go get something later." 

Max shrugged off her jacket and flung it on the back of the couch. "Well... talk," she said her hands on hips, going into her regular irritated stance. 

Alec ran his hand through his hair, trying to figure out where to start. "Let's just get this out there. I DON'T HATE you." She shook her head not listening. "Max. Stop." He sighed, "I know from what has happened recently you might... think that. But it's NOT true." 

She gave him a look, "Then what is true?" 

He wasn't sure how to answer that, because truthfully he wasn't sure himself. Their relationship had completely changed. Heck... it was always changing. He had never known what to think from day to day with her. 

She saw him hesitate and look at the floor, "See. Alec just stop trying to do whatever it is that you are trying to do." 

His head snapped back up. "Max, just because I can't describe what I feel... I mean... I don't exactly have the best background in this area. None of us do. It doesn't mean I hate you. There is a broad range of emotions. It's not always black and white." 

She crossed her arms in front of herself. "Fine... I get it. You don't hate me. But you still don't want me here, and neither do they." 

He shook his head again. "That's not true either." He took a seat on the couch and rested his elbows on his knees, his chin in his hands. She turned towards him, still holding herself, waiting for his answer. "Yes. Some of them don't want you here." He raised a hand before she could say anything. "But they are only going on what they have heard. Or... well..." He didn't know how to explain the reptilian... "Mole is just... Mole." 

"What about you?" 

Alec looked up at her, "Max..." he sighed. "I didn't really want you to go." 

Her eyes widened, "Then why did you..." 

He gave her a confused looked. "Why did I what? Was I supposed to keep the cure to the virus from you? Was I supposed to force you to stay here? Was I supposed to not let you go and be happy?" She didn't know what to say. "For the last year all I've heard from you is how the virus and you not being with Logan was my fault. And when I finally... finally get to correct that," he looked down closing his eyes. "You yell at me for doing it." He looked back up at her, "I just thought it would make you happy. I wasn't trying to piss you off, like you think I do with everything I do." 

Her hands gripped her own shoulders tighter and she adverted her gaze. "But I saw the look. You didn't deny that you and the others wanted me out of Terminal City." 

Alec let out another deep breath, "At the time... with everything that was going on... and the way we were acting towards each other... it was best for the two of us not to be around each other. So that things could get done." 

"So you're saying it was a Command decision and not a personal one." He gave a slight nod. "But you just said that we weren't getting along. There has to be a reason for that." 

He stood back up and looked at her, "Why am I the only one that needs to answer that question?" 

"Excuse me?" 

"I'm not the only one involved in why we weren't getting along. Heck Max, we barely ever got along. And it wasn't on my part. Because God knows how much I let you get away with." 

"Let me get away with?" Now she was getting angry and her hands flew back to her hips and she took a step into his personal space. "So we're back to this... 'not going to let you kick my ass anymore' thing again." 

"I guess we are." 

"Well if you aren't going to take it anymore. Why the hell did you take it in the first place?" she yelled. 

"I don't know. Maybe I thought you had to take your frustration out on someone before you exploded," he blurted out. 

"My frustration was caused by YOU." 

He grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her slightly, "Max... how many times do I have to tell you? It WAS NOT!" 

"Yes it was!" 

"NO!" he screamed back, "Manticore made the virus! Manticore did everything. NOT ME! I'm NOT Manticore." Her eyes widened again. "We..." He let go of one arm and waved it around, "Aren't Manticore anymore. YOU made sure of that." His hand went back to her shoulder, making sure she looked at him. "And no matter how many times you call me names or try to kick my ass... you aren't hurting them! You're only hurting ME!" 

And with the shocked look in her dark eyes he immediately released her and took a few steps back, already realizing that he had said too much. 

She didn't know what to say as her eyes watched his retreating form to her door. Her lips couldn't speak as he reached for the handle behind him and then opened it. She barely head his, "I've gotta go." before he was out the door. 

She blinked, then ran to the door, "Alec... wait..." but he was already gone. She shut the door behind her and leaned against it, her hand covering her face as she began to understand in some part why he felt the way he did. She wasn't sure exactly what he felt. But from his reaction, he had been telling the truth. He didn't hate her. Because someone that did, wouldn't put up with what she had been doing for so long. She just wondered if she would ever be able to make up for it.   
_______________________________ 

The door to Headquarters burst open, and seeing who it was the reptilian was up on his feet and walking over to the man heading towards his office. “Hey there.” He only received an acknowledging glance, but he went on following him into the other room. He watched him sit down, and he took another seat. “So why didn’t you tell me that… Max and the ordinary…”

“Mole!” Alec gave him an evil look. “I DON’T want to talk about it!”

“But I would think that knowing that they…”

He waved him away. “I don’t want to even THINK about it.”

“Not that I like the idea at all.” Heck, he hated the idea of Max being free from that ordinary. In his opinion they deserved each other, and she definitely didn’t deserve the man sitting across from him. “But it does change things between the two of you.”

Alec rolled his eyes. “Mole… I understand what you are trying to do. Trying to make me see and understand things… the way they are… the way the have to be. But you know what?” He turned to look directly at him, “I REALLY don’t want to hear about it. It DOESN’T make anything easier. It doesn’t make anything better. And it doesn’t change anything.”

Didn’t change anything? Mole shook his head, “Fine… we won’t talk about it. So… want to head over to Jonny’s then… and not talk about anything?”

He then actually smiled at the lizard man, “Now that sounds like an idea.”  
_______________________________ 

She sat on the couch, her knees tucked up under her chin, her arms wrapped around them. Brown eyes starring off into space as her brain played images, moments, flashbacks of her life. Her times in Manticore, her times on the outside, and then back in. Times with her friends, her ‘brothers’ and ‘sisters.’ The times over the last year. The hurt, the pain, the tears. But also the laughs, the smiles, and the joy. 

Yes. In the last year, even if she didn’t like to admit it. There were good times. There was laughter. And contrary to popular belief, she did smile. She remembered those times. She remembered trying not to smile. Trying not to laugh. Trying so hard to mask that feeling of happiness. But why? Why did all those times seem to have to involve him?

How many times did she hit him or yell at him, or call him some stupid name to cover up those feelings? Why?

Was it because she didn’t feel like she deserved to be happy? That she felt responsible for all the bad things that were happening? That how dare she feel happy? She closed her eyes. It was true. She felt guilty. She felt responsible. But she blamed Manticore for it. They made her do it. They were the evil ones. They had to be stopped. 

And he… he was their agent. He was the one sent by them to her. He was the one used by them to take away her happiness. Wasn’t he? Wasn’t it his fault?

Her lip trembled and a tear fell down her cheek, and she shook her head burying her face in her knees. She knew that it wasn’t. Deep down she knew it was irrational. That what he had said was true. He might have been working for them. He might have done what he was told to do. But what choice did he really have?

She remembered the time when she was child. A child but also a soldier in Manticore. When her and her unit tracked down that man. Found him. Beat him. Killed him. 

Her eyes squinted tightly shut at the memory. The memory that his twin had made her recall. Made her remember the event that she had tried for so many years to hide, to forget. 

She had been their agent too. Maybe not as many times as he had. But she had escaped early. He wasn’t so lucky. How could she blame him for that? 

Max wiped the tears away with her hand, and sniffed. Her eyes turned back to the wall. Her twins image flashing before her eyes. Their fight. Their conversation. What her clone had to endure because of her, because of her escape. Her eyes closed again. The knowledge of what he had to go through because of her ‘brother.’ Not once… but twice.

His hunched over form at the bar. His hazel eyes starring, unfocused into the brown liquid he swirled around in his glass. His words. ‘they had ways of making you not care.’ Her body shuddered at the thought. 

How could she blame him for not wanting to have to go through that again? Because that’s what they would do if he didn’t complete his mission. He had found that out with… her… a ghost from his past. A moment that she had realized that she had never wanted to witness. A moment that had contradicted everything she had believed about him. A moment that she realized he actually did feel something. 

But still she had pushed the memory away. Not wanting to believe it. Not wanting to believe that the person that she blamed for everything wrong in her life had feelings, had emotions. That he could be hurt. She clenched her eyes tighter shut, their last ‘talk’… ‘discussion’… argument running through her brain. ‘You aren't hurting them! You're only hurting ME!’

Another tear slipped down her cheek. She had saw the pain in his eyes as his hands gripped her shoulders trying to make her understand. She saw the hurt that she had created. She saw the fear that ran through them when he realized he had shown her his weakness. When he had let his mask slip in front of her. It struck her to the very core. Because in that instant she truly realized that he was right. She wasn’t hurting Manticore. She was hurting him… and herself.   
______________________________

The scotch burned on it's way down his throat. And he took another drink of pain. That type of hurt more preferable to the other one in his chest. He saw the other man watching him out of the corner of his eye. "What?" 

"Nothing." 

Alec gave him a look, "Don't nothing me." 

Mole let out a puff of smoke, "Well you're the one that doesn't want to talk about anything." 

He rolled his eyes, "Oh Mole... you aren't becoming a woman now are you?" 

He choked on his cigar, removing it from his mouth, "Excuse me?" 

"You... and all this talking. 'What are you thinking?' What are you feeling?'" He said in a higher pitch tone. "Seriously, you're turning into a female." 

"You know. We fling back and forth a lot insults. But that..." he put a hand over his heart. "That hurts." 

Alec laughed and smiled, "Sorry man." 

"So what did she do now that's got you all riled up? Oh wait... what was that whole display in the mess hall about?" He got another look. Mole coughed slightly, "Just wanting to know for purely Command purposes." 

Alec rolled his eyes, "Command purposes my ass. Are you sure you don't have any feline DNA?" 

He laughed, "Nope. Cold blooded through and through." 

Alec laughed and then took another drink, letting out a small burp following. "Well... she really didn't do anything different than usual." 

"Then why?" 

He sighed and rubbed his hand over his forehead. "I'm mad with... myself." 

Mole was shocked, "Excuse me? Don't tell me that female has you blaming yourself again for..." 

He stopped him shaking his head. "No... I just. I said more than I should have." 

"Said what?" 

But before he could respond. "Hey guys. Mole... Medium Fella. Can I join you?" 

The two looked up at the tall guy hovering over them. "Sure Josh, buddy, take a load off." Joshua nodded at Alec and sat down at the table with them. He took another drink, and then turned to him. "Hey, weren't you going to show Max your mural?" He said as he motioned to Jonny at the bar. 

Mole rolled his eyes. Alec gave him a warning look. Joshua answered oblivious to it all. "She already left Terminal City for the night." 

Alec nodded, took a long drink, and then handed over his empty glass to Jonny. The guy handed him another, and a beer to Joshua. "Well don't worry buddy. She'll be back in the morning... all happy and chipper to see your painting." He took another long drink letting the sting hit his queasy stomach.  
_______________________________

She gave a heavy sigh as she opened the door seeing who was on the other side. She shook her head and pulled her friend inside the apartment, “Now what’s going on?”

Max sat down on the couch, tugging her coat off in the process. Cindy took it away from her and sat it on the back of the chair. “Huh?”

OC shook her head again, sat down next to her and rested her elbow on the back of the couch. “What did you and Alec fight about now?”

“It wasn’t really a fight.” She stopped and looked at her, “How did you know it was about him?”

“Who else gets you all riled up?”

Max tiled her head down, her hands coming up over her face. “But I’m the one that does it. Not him.”

Cindy blinked twice in disbelief, and leaned closer, “What… what? I don’t think I heard you right on that.”

She let out a small laugh, “Well. He does do it on purpose sometimes… but not for the reasons I thought.” Cindy put a finger in her ear and twisted it, then shook her head. Max saw it and laughed again. “Yeah. I know. Sounds strange coming from me.”

“Strange? You’re kiddin’ right? I’m thinking you been abducted by aliens.” They both laughed, then Cindy stopped. Straight faced, “Max… what happened?”

“He doesn’t hate me,” she said softly.

“I could have told you that, and I tried.”

She nodded, “I know.” 

“And…” OC prompted, “How does that have to do with…” she trailed off.

Max looked over at her friend with tears in her eyes again, “I’ve hurt him so much Cindy. I never saw it, or I didn’t want to. I blamed him for so much… so much that wasn’t his fault for so long. He let it out finally, and you could just tell… tell he didn’t want to.” She closed her eyes at the memory of those emotions that washed through those hazel eyes in front of her. Emotions that she had caused. She looked back over to the other girl. “I’ve done so much damage, so much hurt for so long. I have no idea if I could ever repair it… I don’t even know if it’s possible.”

Cindy moved over closer to her friend on the couch. “You know… sometimes you just can’t repair things no matter how much you want too.”

Max looked up at her with big eyes, tears slipping down her face. “Oh God. You think it’s too late? That I’ve done too much?”

She pulled her in for a hug, “Max… sometimes you have to demolish the building down to its main supports and then rebuild on a fresh foundation.”  
_______________________________

“Okay, Jed and Rex, you will enter here.” He said pointing to the blue prints. His finger moved to another position, “but not until I make sure this area is clear and bypass security.” He looked up and got nodes from them both. He turned to Mole.

“Weapons and supplies are packed and ready.”

“All updated schematics and the computer virus is loaded into your mini-laptop.” 

Alec smiled at Luke, and patted his shoulder. “Okay. This should be a clean in and out procedure. Everyone got their orders?”

“No.”

He turned around facing brown eyes. “Max…” He shook his head, “You don’t have any orders.”

“Exactly.”

He rolled his eyes and turned back to the others. “We head out in a half hour. Meet in the garage.” He then took the supplies from Luke and started to head for his office. 

She watched him walking away, “Hey!” 

“You aren’t going,” he said firmly over his shoulder as he walked into the other room.

She marched her way in behind him and shut the door behind her. “Why not?”

He walked behind his desk, sat down his stuff and then looked back at her. “You’re kidding right?” She shook her head that she wasn’t. “Do you really want me to list the reasons? Ummm let’s see. The mission only requires three people. The team is already lined up. They know what they are looking for. I know how to bypass security. Anything else would be a liability. Oh… and did I mention that you seem to hold the cure to a plague. And that it would be REALLY stupid to risk you on a mission to just get some lab equipment.”

“Well is it really a good idea for you to go alone? I mean… don’t you need someone to watch your back while you bypass security?”

“Wow Max… that could almost be disguised as concern for me.” He walked over to his door and started to open it, “Unfortunately I know it’s just you wanting to come along so I don’t mess it all up.” She was about to object, as he continued and motioned for her to walk through. “I don’t need back up Max. I work well alone.” She slowly walked out the door, and turned back towards him to speak again. But... “I was trained to be alone. And I’ll do just fine alone.” He shut the door, and then leaned back against. “Perfectly fine… all alone.”  
______________________________

She looked at the door in front of her. Starred at it for a minute. She could feel the temper starting to rise in her, and she tried to push it down. Tried to push it away. She knew it was not the way she should deal with this, with him. But… she didn’t know how else to handle the situation. He wasn’t listening to her. Well… she actually hadn’t said anything. But he hadn’t let her. Then again, could she really blame him? Had she really been that scripted in her responses to him? She closed her eyes as she answered her own question. 

Now she had a choice. She could walk away, and let it go. Maybe try again later. Or she could barge her way back in and try to knock some sense into him. Well… knocking some sense into him might not exactly be the way to go if she wanted to get through to him that she wasn’t trying to always kick his ass anymore. 

Max sighed. The only problem was that with X5’s, much like herself… it was the only way to actually get through to them. She took a deep breath and turned the knob and walked back into the lion’s den.

He looked up from his desk. “You aren’t going. That’s final. Don’t make me have Mole or someone force you to…”

“I know.”

“What?”

She shut the door and walked over to him slowly. “As much as I hate to admit it. You’re right. I shouldn’t go.” He just sat there, not knowing what to say. “But I don’t think you should go by yourself.”

“Max… I really can do this. I’m not going to screw…”

“I know.” 

“What?” disbelief echoed through his question.

She took a breath, “I’m not worried you are going to mess up. I’m just worried that something out of your control will happen and no one will be there to protect you.” She waved him off before he could comment, “Not that I don’t think you can’t protect yourself.” She saw the look in his eyes and she almost laughed. “But I do know how many times I was glad you were there behind me when things went sideways.”

He couldn’t be hearing her correctly. He just couldn’t be. He shook his head, “What is this Max?”

“What is what?”

Alec looked at her, trying to figure her out. “Should I ask to look at your barcode? Because I’m not talking to Max.”

She sighed, “Alec… I’m just trying to say that… Well… I’ve said a lot of things.” She stopped, wasn’t that the understatement of the century. “Many things to you that I didn’t mean. Or that was way… wayyy too hard on you.”

He covered his eyes with his hands and leaned his elbow on the desk. “Shit.”

“What?” 

He stood up quickly, “I don’t need this. I really don’t want this.” He picked up the supplies from his desk as he looked at his watch, “And I don’t have time for this.”

She turned to watch him start to walk to the door. “What are you talking about?”

Alec turned back to her, “Max.” He sighed and ran a hand though his hair. “What I said… in your apartment. Just forget it okay.”

“Forget it? How can I forget it? I hurt…”

He cut her off, “No. Stop.”

“Stop what?” she was thoroughly confused.

“I don’t want you to act differently towards me because of what I said. I don’t want… or need your pity.”

Her eyes widened, “You think that is what this is?”

“I’m fine, okay? You don’t need to come in here and try to fix me or whatever. You don’t need to be ‘nice’ to me because you think…” He stopped, “I don’t know what you think. But let’s just say… I’m fine. I’m al'right. Okay?”

She sighed and nodded slightly and then watched him walk out the door. “Yeah Alec… you’re always al’right.” And she knew then like she had known when he had said it countless times before that he was far from al'right.  
_______________________________

He watched her pacing. She was walking back and forth fast enough that she was actually starting to make him dizzy. He couldn’t take much more and stood up. “Will you just sit down?”

She stopped suddenly and turned towards him about to object when a puff of smoke hit her in the face. She gave an evil look, and waved it away. “I’ll sit when you stop smoking those horrible things.”

“Well then Miss you’re going to be standing a long, long time.” He took another puff from the cigar. “What’s got you all…” he motioned with his arms not able to accurately describe what she was doing.

She looked back at the clock on the wall. “Shouldn’t they be back by now? What if something went wrong?”

He studied her for a minute. “Are you actually concerned about him? Or just the team in general.”

Max’s shoulders slumped. “UGH.” She turned around from him and went to sit on the couch mumbling to herself. “I do actually have a heart even if no one believes it.”

Mole watched her go sit down, but her leg kept bouncing as she waited, her eyes on the clock. He sighed, rolled his eyes, put out his cigar and went and sat in the chair by the couch. “They still have two hours before we would send someone in to look for them.”

She turned her head quickly towards him.

“They are under radio silence. Like all of our missions now because White and the military are monitoring all radio stations.” He watched her head straighten and eyes look at him directly. She was actually listening to him. “There could be a ton of reasons they aren’t back yet.”

“Like?”

He looked at her eyes, trying to gauge her real reason for the curiosity. She was worried. He almost wanted to laugh. *Humans… X5’s… he just didn’t understand them.* “They might have had to wait to go in at a later time. The computer virus might have taken longer to work. Heck… traffic on the way back.”

Max nodded. She had thought of that, but it felt good to hear those same thoughts from someone else. Strangely even better from Mole. “But what if something did go wrong and we don’t know about it?”

“There are two teams. It is unlikely that they would both get in trouble and not be able to communicate. And if one team came back and the other didn’t well then we would have cause…”

“The Van’s pulling in!” Luke announced to the room, and the two were on their feet and running over to monitors. 

Max noticing that Mole moved a little faster than he normally would have as well. “But where’s the motorcycle?” she asked her worried eyes looking up at the reptilians.   
_______________________________ 

It would just be his luck. He shook his head and leaned to the left hard. His bike just barely making the turn as a bullet flew past his head. *Yep. I tell her… I can handle myself. I can do it on my own. I don’t need back up. I won’t screw up. I can handle myself.* 

He growled lightly as he tipped the bike to the other side and made a hard right. His eyes catching the blue and red lights reflecting in the puddle of water he passed. *I can hear her now… ‘I TOLD you’… ‘You couldn’t do it alone’… ‘God Alec, you’re such a screw up.’* He sighed. 

He took another hard right and heard a loud crash behind him as one of the police cars ran into a building not able to make the corner. The others had to slow down to avoid crashing or make the turn. It gave him a little more distance from them and those damn bullets that were getting too close for comfort. His shoulder was already yelling at him to speed up, it really didn’t want Dalton bandaging it once again.

Tonight he actually wished Max was going to be away from Terminal City. Because once he got back, she wouldn’t know how late he was. She wouldn’t be there to ask questions. She wouldn’t give him a piece of her mind… thus taking away another piece of his heart. He swallowed the lump in his throat. It just wasn’t fair.

He took a fast left and smiled as he hit a huge amount of traffic. He swerved in and out of the vehicles quickly, as his ears heard the hard breaks of the cop cars behind him. He made it through the traffic. After a few twists, turns and the knowledge that no one was following him he hit the accelerator and left marks on the pavement as he speed to the hidden entrance of Terminal City.   
_______________________________ 

“Where is he?” she snapped as Jed walked in the door handing over some of the equipment to Dix. 

The X5 looked from Max to Mole. “I have no idea. He left after us.”

“Why?” she demanded.

Mole rolled his eyes, and silently told Jed to humor her. Jed turned back to her, “He was cleaning their system of the virus we put in, and turned their security back on.”

She gave a confused look, “Why would he do that?”

Mole smiled and spoke from behind her, “Just because we are… uh… borrowing their lab equipment. It doesn’t mean they are a ‘bad guy’.” She turned towards him shocked. “Hey not my words… his.”

She nodded. “But that doesn’t explain why he is still not here. It couldn’t take more than five minutes to do that, right?”

Jed and Mole looked at each other, both knowing that it would take Alec a lot less than that to do it, but neither wanting to tell Max that. But she saw the look.

“Time yet gentlemen to figure out what happened? Or are we still going to wait here?”

“Luke how about we pull up the satellite feeds of…”

“We got movement… it’s him.” Luke interrupted. They all went back to the monitors and watched Alec pull up and park in the garage. He turned off the bike, dismounted and grabbed his bag as he started walking.

She watched him, noticing that he looked normal. He wasn’t hurt. She let out a breath, balled up her fists, turned around and walked silently into her office. 

Mole watched her go as the door shuttered closed behind her. He shook his head, and then turned to the other door that was opening. Hazel eyes moved around the room quickly. Emotions in them turning from instant relief to disappointment, and then back to masked indifference. “Here Luke,” he said handing over his bag. Then walked over to Dix, taking out the tiny device from under his shirt. “Have fun with this. Some sensor or something must be malfunctioning.” He turned back to Luke, “Oh… and if there is any way to get a new license plate for my bike… that would be a good thing. And trash the old one.” The two nodded at him and hurried off.

Alec then walked over to Mole and Jed, “So everything get back here okay?”

Mole didn’t even ask what happened. He didn’t need to. The story was perfectly clear from what he just said and the X5 looked like he had made it though without a scratch. “Yep.” 

“How’d the fort do while I was gone?” 

“Gone? You were gone?” Alec smiled and shook his head. “Nothing new to report. Everything was fine. Well…” Mole then looked over to her office, and Alec followed his eyes. “Almost everything.”

“What do you mean? What did she do?”

Mole tried to figure out what he should tell him. Did he really want to know what she was doing? Was it a good thing to let him know? “Well she…” he pointed at the office again. “uhhh… what can I say…”

“Wait.” Alec stopped him, “She’s in there?” Mole nodded. “She’s here?” He nodded again. Alec closed his eyes, “Great. Just great.” He opened them again, “Does she know that I’m here?” Another nod. He rubbed his forehead. “Then why isn’t she out here cussing my ass out?” He asked as he walked to her door. Mole was about to answer him but the other man had already opened the door and walked inside the other room.   
_______________________________

She was pacing, again. She was trying to get her aggression out, she was trying to control herself. Her head turned to the door as it opened and he walked in. She looked at him. “No. Not now.”

“What?”

Max closed her eyes and turned towards the wall, not looking at him. “Alec. Please. Don’t talk to me right now.”

Now he was thoroughly confused. “Well I just thought I’d come in here and get the yelling and everything done with now. Then I can go home and get some sleep.”

Her fists clenched at her sides, she let out a long breath as she counted to ten. “Just go home. Sleep. We’ll talk tomorrow.” She didn’t want to talk now, she couldn’t. Because if she tried she would just yell, and her temper would just be coming out. She wasn’t angry with him, but it would seem like she was.

Alec shook his head behind her, walked up to her, and turned her around. “Okay… what’s going on?”

Her eyes were closed, “Just… please… go.”

He sighed. She was so pissed she didn’t even want to look at him or cuss him out. “Fine,” he said angrily as he walked towards the door. Turning slightly as he was to walk out, “If you even care what happened. The others know. But what does that matter right?” His hand went back to the knob.

She tightened her eyelids and fists, “Alec… wait.”

His hand stopped and he looked back. “What?”

Max swallowed and opened her eyes. “I’m not angry with you.” He tilted his head and she continued. “I’m just not in the mindset to talk and not say something I don’t mean.”

He looked at her. Really looked at her. She stood there in front of him, her back ramrod straight, her small fists clenched, knuckles white, her jaw tense. Her eyes sparkling with fire, her nostrils slightly flared, her right hip sticking out and he had to look away. She looked too… too… *Down boy.* his mind warned. 

He took another deep breath turning back to her, trying with a clear mind to read her stance and realized she was trying to rein in her temper. But why? “If you aren’t angry with me, then why are you so upset?”

She closed her eyes as she watched him start to walk towards her slowly, as if he was approaching a dangerous animal. “Because you were late coming back.”

Alec blinked, “You’re mad because I was late?” She nodded. “Well I’m sorry. I kinda had to take a longer detour than I planned.” She shook her head, and he sighed. “Ugh… Max… I’m sorry okay? Isn’t that enough?”

She opened her eyes, “I’m not asking for you to be sorry!” she blurted out.

He took a small step back at her outburst. “Then what do you want me to say?”

“AHHH!” She finally let out the scream she had been holding in, and moved towards him hitting him in the chest. “I’m not asking you to say anything. I’m not asking for an apology. Damn it! I’m not even blaming you!”

He took her wrists in his hands, stopping the pathetic attempt at hitting him. The swings and punches barely making contact. “Then what the hell is all this about?”

“God why are men so dense!” She looked up at him, “I was worried about you PIG!”

Alec shook his head, “What?” She was seriously not making any sense. “YOU were worried about ME?” She nodded. “Then why are you angry? I’m fine.”

“But you were late! We didn’t know where you were…” She trailed off looking up at him. And now she was afraid. Afraid that she had said too much.

He caught it, he caught her look. Heard her words, and then it made sense. Well sort of. Her worrying about him made no sense. But the rest did. “You’re all upset because you got worried and worked up and then everything was okay.” She nodded slightly. “And now… now you need to vent all that adrenaline somewhere.” She nodded again and he let out a laugh letting her one arm go, which she immediately felt and pulled it away only to smack him on the shoulder.

She realized what she did afterwards and pulled back. *Damn it MAX! You weren’t supposed to do that.* “Sorry,” immediately came out of her mouth.

“It’s okay… I let you,” he said with a small smile.

Her eyes widened, “You let me?” she let out another swing that he blocked with another smile. “YOU let me?” She yelled again, trying to hit him with her now other free arm, which he blocked again. 

Alec nodded, “Yep… I LET you.” He dodged another swing and another. 

“I’ll show you LET…” she screamed and moved her leg out for a kick. He quickly sidestepped it, and moved behind her, grabbing both arms. She jumped backwards flipping over him and managing to get one arm free, trying to kick his legs out from under him. But he moved too quickly, and spun her around at the same time pinning her back against his chest. Her legs came out trying to kick, as she found her feet lifted off the floor. She started kicking, trying to free herself.

The small laugh in her ear fueled her on more. She struggled in his hold until she finally gave up, tired and in realization she wasn’t going to get anywhere. She took a few deep breaths. “Okay. Okay… I’m calm.”

His lips were by her ear… “You sure?”

His breath tingled against her skin, and she swallowed. “Yes,” she said softly and felt his grasp loosen and her feet found the floor. She moved quickly away towards her desk and sat on the edge.

“So… you really aren’t mad at me?” 

Her eyes moved from the floor back up to his and she shook her head no. Now that she was calm. Calm because he… *Because he let you take it out on him again.* She wanted to know… “What happened?”

“Huh?”

“Why were you late?”

He sighed, here it was. He knew, just knew that it was coming. He closed his eyes, “I had a little trouble with sector police.”

Max watched him standing there. Waiting. Waiting for her to what? Yell at him? Yeah, more than likely. “So everything went fine with the mission?”

His eyes opened quickly. “Yeah.”

“What happened with the police?”

Was she really just curious? Or was this just a setup? Trying to get all the information to use against him? “The thermal device thing I was using… well it malfunctioned.” He saw her eyes widen. “Yeah… they got a read on me, and I got to have one nice long high speed chase tonight.”

She stood up quickly, taking a look at him, “Are you okay? Did you get shot?”

“Whoah. Calm down. I’m fine.” He saw her relax. “I had my helmet on so they wouldn’t recognize me. Luke’s getting a new plate for the bike. And I took the long route home after I got away.” She nodded and sat back on the desk. 

“Max?” She looked back up and he walked over and sat next to her. “Seriously… are you okay?”

She gave a small smile. “Yeah. I am now. Why?”

Alec shook his head, “Nothing. Just wanted to make sure.”

She nodded, “Why don’t you go get some sleep. It’s late.”

He yawned in agreement and they both smiled. “Yeah, I suppose it is.” He stood up and walked to the door, grabbing the handle, he turned back to her. “Night Max.”

She gave him a soft smile, “Night Alec.”

He returned one, and then exited shutting the door behind him. He looked back at the door and sighed. If he said he knew what had just happened he would have been lying through his teeth. Because he was now more confused than ever. This was not the Max he knew. Well… part of her was exactly the same, but other parts… just weren’t making sense. 

But then he closed his eyes as he thought about it. Maybe she was different. Maybe she was acting differently towards him and everyone else. Being nice because… because she was happy? He sighed and started to walk away from the door and towards the exit. He was glad she was happy. That’s what he wanted her to be. But he sure as hell didn’t have to like the reason she was so happy.  
_______________________________

“Yeah Big Fella I love that mural.” She said as opened the door to her office giving him a smile behind her. “Oh, and I have the perfect wall for your next one.”

He gave her a large grin as he followed her into the room. 

“They really brighten up Terminal City,” she said and then stopped suddenly, Joshua running into the back of her.

“Sorry Little Fella,” came his reply behind her, “What’s wrong?”

She just starred at the corner of the room, and then slowly walked over to what was hanging there. She took the white note off the long red bag suspended from the ceiling by large chains. Her fingers slowly opened the piece of paper.

‘Thought you could use this incase I’m not around.’ 

Joshua watched the shocked look turn into a large smile as her hand went up to the red leather like material. A laugh escaping her lips as she spoke, “My own personal punching bag.”  
_______________________________

He waited as he looked over Dix’s shoulder at the computer, while he listened to him and Mole talking. He had seen her and Josh enter her office, and knew it was just a matter of time. He just wasn’t sure what her reaction was going to be. Happy or pissed off. It could go either way with Max.

The door opened behind him, “Alec” The guys all turned towards her, and saw Joshua move into the main room. “Can I have a word with you?”

Mole looked at him, “What did you do now?”

Alec laughed, “Ummm. I know what I did. But for some reason I don’t know if the principle is going to punish me or reward me for it.”

The lizard man just shook his head and sighed. “Well, good luck.” And with that he patted his shoulder and pushed him to the door.

Once she saw him walking over, she moved back inside. He followed and shut the door behind him. He watched her sit on the edge of her desk and turn back towards him. “You wanted to talk to me?”

She nodded, and pointed at the punching bag. “Why?”

He gave her a confused look. He had thought that the note had explained it. 

Max sighed, “I know what the note said. But… why? Why did you do it?”

“Why’d I get you something to beat up besides me?”

She shook her head, “I got that part.”

“Then what?”

She sighed and walked over to it, gave it a soft punch, just playing and turned back to him. She wasn’t exactly sure what she was asking, or even if she did, how she could ask. He walked over to her, and put a hand on the bag, patting it. “You didn’t have too.” 

He gave another confused look, “But I wanted too.”

“Why?”

“Didn’t I just say why?”

She nodded, “So that’s the only reason then.”

He looked at her. Was that a sound of disappointment in her voice? He couldn’t be sure. “Max…”

She gave him a smile, “No that’s okay. Really. And… thank you.” 

Alec nodded, “Glad you liked it. I was… well… slightly worried you would get the wrong idea.”

Max gave him another smile. He had given it to her to be nice. Not JUST for her to use it instead of him. “I must say. I’ve never had anyone get me anything quite like this before.” She patted it again and her hand touched his.

Their eyes met briefly and he removed his hand quickly running it through his hair. “Yeah well…” He swallowed. “They didn’t have Gift Giving 101 back at Manticore.” She laughed. “And I’m not really one to do wine or jewelry…” He stopped immediately. “Not that I was going for something like that!” He moved away from her and the bag. “I mean… it wasn’t really that type a gift.”

She watched him retreating to her door. “Alec…”

“I mean… really… it wasn’t even a gift. It was more of a… a… peace offering. Yeah.”

“Peace offering?” He nodded. She smiled, “Okay.” She walked over to him and stuck out her had. “I accept.”

He looked down at her extended hand, then back up at the smile on her face. How many times had she smiled in the last few minutes? More than almost the whole time he knew her? His hand came up and his fingers encased hers, as they shook on it. The shake lasting longer than necessary. He pulled his hand away, clearing his throat. “I gotta get back out there.” 

She nodded, “Okay. And thanks again.”

He smiled, “No problem.” With that he opened and walked out the door. Shutting it behind him he stopped. He looked over seeing the guys talking at the computer. He shook his head to himself and walked to his office, and soon found the comfort of its solitude. He took a seat on the couch, rested his elbows on his knees and his face in his hands.

*What the hell was that?* he asked himself. Could he have acted any more stupid? He shook his head at himself. *What was I thinking? For crying out loud. She’s with someone! That’s why she’s so happy. That’s why she’s changed. That’s why she’s being so nice. That’s why you’re falling…* He stopped. *NO. I can’t. Not again. There is NO point.* 

Alec sighed again and stood up and leaned against the wall. Why? Why did she have to be so nice now? Why did she have to be like that, but still… still be Max? It was like someone had taken her and removed that stick up her ass. That… thing that kept her distant. Kept her being a bitch to him and everyone else and removed it. But had somehow managed to keep all the things he had originally liked in her. Her flare. Her fire. Her… sprit.

Another man’s face came before his eyes, and his fist lashed out as if to hit him and came in contact with the wall. Doing something in essence he could never do. Would never do. For so many reasons. The main reason being… that other man was the one that had removed that damn stick.  
_______________________________

He saw the X5 exit her office and enter his own silently. His gaze moved from one door to the other, trying to decide which one to approach. Respecting the one's silent request not to be bothered he choose the other door. Not that he wanted too, but he walked over and knocked. 

"Come in," came the reply from behind it. He entered and her eyes looked up in shock and she stood. "Mole?" Her brain trying to quickly comprehend why he was there, "What's wrong?" 

He shut the door behind him and walked over and sat on the corner of her desk looking back at her. "That's what I was hoping you could tell me." 

Max gave him a confused look, "What do you mean?" 

He pointed his cigar at her, "You've been acting differently. Especially to him." She looked down for a second, not even needing to know who the 'him' was. "And I would just like to know why." 

"Mole... really it's none of your business." 

"You see. That's where you're wrong. Anything else is your business. But when it comes to Alec. Then it's mine as well." 

She crossed her arms in front of herself. "So what do you want to know?" 

Mole looked at her for a minute. "Since you and that human..." 

"Logan." 

"Since you and him broke up..." 

"I broke up with him." 

He chopped on his cigar a little at that, *Interesting,* he thought. "Whatever." 

And she continued, "But how the hell do you know that?" 

Mole laughed, "You think you can really keep any secrets in Terminal City with a bunch of highly trained transgenics?" 

She sighed, "So I guess everyone knows." *Everyone.* 

He nodded and then continued with his question. "So you broke up. You came back to Terminal City. And now you are being... different. Why?" 

She leaned on her desk looking back at him in the eye, "Define different." 

Mole stood up. "I don't need to because you already know." She stood back up straight and crossed her arms again. "Max... what the hell are your intentions?" 

"My intentions?" She laughed. She really laughed. "Alec is not a girl, and you definitely aren't his father. And that isn't..." 

Mole stuck his cigar out at her again, "This isn't a laughing matter. This isn't a game sweetheart." 

She swallowed hard. "Mole... what exactly are you implying?" 

"You've already played with one man's heart, and then stomped on it." She averted her gaze and he waited for her eyes to look back up at him again. "And I'll be damned if I let you do that to him." He didn't feel the need to add 'again' at the end of that. She didn’t need to know that. 

"I don't know what you are getting at Mole. I'm just trying to be nice. Just trying to make peace." 

He knew better. "Tell yourself that all you want. But you better figure things out, and quick." With that he turned and walked out of her office leaving her with her mouth open. 

"What was that all about?" she asked the empty room. She walked over to her couch and sat down heavily. *He knows.* Her shoulders slumped slightly. She should have been the one to tell him. But it didn't matter anymore. She then thought about what Mole had said. What he had implied. She shook her head. *Me? Play with Alec's heart?* It didn't make sense to her. *He'd have to have feelings for me... like THAT... in order for it to matter.* 

Heck he was uncomfortable being in the same room with her. Uncomfortable about getting her the punching bag. Made it completely clear that it wasn't THAT type of gift. So why the hell did Mole think that there was?   
_______________________________

“Thought I would find you here.”

Hazel eyes looked up into a cloud of smoke. “You know me so well.”

Mole took a seat and Jonny already was handing him a beer. “You know. It’s a good thing that you’re genetically engineered or you’d be on your third liver by now.”

Alec laughed, “Awh more concern for me. I’m touched.” He looked over at Mole, and snapped his fingers with a sigh “To bad you aren’t a woman.”

Mole coughed, “Excuse me?”

He shook his head, “Nothing man. Nothing.” The reptilian reached across the table taking the bottle of scotch. “Hey!”

“I think you may have finally had enough.”

Alec’s arm quickly reached across the table, grabbing it back in a blur. “And if you were a woman, I’d be breaking up with for doing that.”

Mole nodded, now slightly understanding what was going on. He took a drink of his beer than sat the mug on the table. “Just how long as it been?”

He looked back at him and shook his head, “What?”

“You. A female. In the horizontal, or vertical, or whatever it is your species does.”

Alec coughed on his scotch. His fist pounded at his chest. “I’d say… oh about… hmmm… none of your damn business.”

“That long huh?”

“What?”

“Oh come on. If it was a short time, you would have just told me.”

“I am NOT talking about this with YOU.” He took another drink.

Mole looked around the bar, then back to the man across the table. His hand motioned around the bar, “Pick one.”

“Excuse me?”

“I said pick one.”

Alec shook his head. “I’m not doing this.”

“Because I can just about guarantee whom ever you pick will say yes.” Alec rolled his eyes. “Unless they were already with someone else. And then even some of them…”

“Mole. Stop. I’m not interested.”

“So I guess you have turned into a monk.” He received an evil look. “I guess all the rumors of you being able to get all the chicks were that, just rumors.”

“I know what you are doing. It won’t work.”

“Why are you doing this? That’s what I don’t understand. You’re making yourself miserable.”

“ME? If I could change things don’t you think I would? But I can’t.”

Mole shook his head, and leaned over the table. “No matter how much I may regret this. And no matter how much I think it’s a bad idea. If you want her so damn much, why the hell don’t you go after her?”

Alec leaned back in his seat, not even attempting to deny what he said. “Because… I can’t.”

“Why not?”

He shook his head, closed his eyes. “It wouldn’t be right.”

“Right? After all this. After all this time. Your answer is it wouldn’t be right? Well I can think of a million reasons it wouldn’t be a good idea. But… right?” 

“And even if it was all right to go after her. She would actually have to LIKE me for it to work.”

“Damn.” Mole said and sat back in his seat. “She really did a number on you.”

“What do you mean by that?”

Mole finished his beer, stood up and sat the empty mug on the table. “And they say that I’m thick headed. You two take the cake.” With that he walked out of the bar.

Alec watched him go shaking his head. *What does he know anyway?* Even if he did try to get her. What would be the point? She was happy where she was. She wasn’t interested in him. Why even try when you know what the outcome will be? He sighed again, and took another drink. His eyes caught a blondes at the bar, she smiled back. He took one last drink and sat the glass on the table. He stood up and headed for the exit. He had to get out of there before he did something he would only regret in the morning.   
_______________________________

"I don't like this." 

"It has to be done." 

"But like this?" her dark eyes asked. 

He looked over at Dix and the little transgenic nodded. He looked back at her, "Unfortunately... yes." 

She sighed, and leaned against the wall. "We're intentionally infecting the world with a virus." 

"Max... you know it HAS to be done. And what the consequences will be if we don't." 

She ran her hand over her face. "Yeah, but Alec... some won't live because of it." 

He closed his eyes. He didn't like that idea either, but... "How many more will die if we don't?" 

She knew, but she didn't have to like it. "You know we will get blamed for this. Heck, it will be our fault." He nodded. "We'll be blamed for this epidemic. And they will NEVER believe we were only trying to save them from something else." 

He noticed her use of 'we' and 'them' but didn't say anything. "More than likely." 

"How will we then... EVER convince them that we can coexist peacefully with them?" 

"We'll figure that out later." 

"But we need to..." 

"Max... we don't have a whole lot of time to figure every little aspect out. We have to get this done, and soon. The virus has been made. It's ready to be spread. It's now or never. If we wait too long, it won't spread enough and people will still be sick by the time the comet gets here." 

She closed her eyes, and lowered her shoulders. He was right. What choice did they have? "Okay, let's do this." 

He leaned against the wall next to her, and lifted her chin back up to look at him. "Well, you could think about it like this..." She opened her eyes and waited for his answer. "We succeed and at least in our own minds we know we saved everyone. Or we don't succeed and..." 

"And?" she asked. 

"Then we don't have to worry about what they think." She closed her eyes on that, not liking that idea at all. He watched her, and could tell how much the idea hurt her. He didn't like it either. His fingertips lightly brushed against her cheek trying to comfort her. Her eyes opened instantly and locked onto his, when he spoke with conviction. "But that WON'T happen." 

She gave a small smile. "This time... I really... REALLY hope you're right." She leaned slighting into his touch, and for a brief moment their eyes held. 

Alec caught his breath and pulled his hand away, dropping it to his side. "Okay then. Let's get this started." He stood up straight and headed for the door, Max followed seconds later, and then Dix shaking his head at the two in front of him closed it behind them.  
_______________________________ 

{{Ten more cases have been reported in Los Angeles. Twelve in New York. Eight in Miami. Three in London. Fourteen in Paris, and six in Tokyo.}}

The door opened, and he moved his gaze from the reporter on the television to the man walking towards him and the group that had formed. 

“How’s it going?” he asked and then coughed. 

He took the cigar out of his mouth, “It’s spreading like wild fire. So it’s good or bad depending on how you look at it.” He pointed his finger at him, “You don’t look so good. You should be in bed.”

Alec rubbed his slightly red nose, “I’m fine.” He then turned to Dix. “How long do you think before total exposure?”

The little transgenic sneezed and then responded, “At this rate, seventy-five percent of the worlds population should be exposed by the end of the week.” 

He nodded, and then turned back to Mole, “Our men in the field?”

“Hitting the remote populations as we speak, or will be by tomorrow.”

Alec was about to ask more when he heard a loud smack quickly followed by a grunt. His brow crinkled in confusion as he turned in the direction of the sound coming from her office. He thumbed to the door, looking at Mole. “What was that?”

Mole smiled, “She’s not liking the news.”

He smiled when he realized what she was doing, and then tried to make a decision. Let her continue using his peace offering to ward off her steam, or take a chance and make the tempered beast feel better. Both options had their good and bad points.   
_______________________________ 

Punch. Hit. Kick. Punch. Grunt. Punch. Punch. Kick. Smack. Punch. Grunt. Punch. Punch. Punch. “ARRRGGG!” She screamed as she spun and kicked the bag again. A small drop of sweat flew from her forehead, as her fist struck out again hitting the red leather. 

She knew it had to be like this. She knew they were doing the right thing. She knew it was for their own good. But she didn’t have to like it. She punched the bag again and it swung hard on it’s chains.

She hated it. Hated having to infect her best friends with it. Hated to ask Dr. Carr to help them infect the hospital. Hated to have to send X5’s out all over the world infecting international airports, seaports, and remote areas. She closed her eyes and both fists started punching, left and right, again and again. 

And what did she hate more than anything? She had no one to blame. *How do you blame a comet?* she screamed at herself. Sure she could try and blame White and his cult loonies because they didn’t share their immunity with the rest of the world. But it wasn’t like they were bringing that damn comet here. 

She swung again and missed as the knock on the door startled her. “Enter,” she yelled as her fist flew out again this time striking the bag hard. The door opened behind her and she turned around quickly, slightly out of breath… “Hi…”

“Hi,” he responded shutting the door and slowly walked over to her. “You okay?”

She rolled her eyes, and smacked the red leather again as she walked over and sat on the corner of her desk, “Oh yeah… peachy.”

“Max… you know it had to be…”

She cut him off, “I know… I KNOW. Okay?”

He sighed, putting his hands up in the air, “I didn’t mean to…”

“I know…” She said again more calmly.

“Do you want to know the status?”

She shook her head no, “Just tell me if it’s working or not. I really don’t want to know the numbers.”

“It’s working so far.”

She nodded and crossed her arms around herself. He saw her response and knew. “It’s the right thing Max.” She closed her eyes and nodded that she knew. He started to walk over to the desk to sit down next to her, but stopped part way. His eyes squinting, his nose twitching, his breath holding. 

Max looked up at him, her eyebrows knitting, “Alec…” 

And then he sneezed, hard. A second later, “Damn… I don’t think I’ll ever get used to that.”

She smiled slightly, “Bless you.”

“Huh?”

She giggled, “You know… ‘Bless you,’ common saying after someone sneezes.”

He nodded, “Oh yeah… just not used to someone saying it to …” he stopped before he could say me and sneezed again.

She was on her feet this time and over to him before he got to open his eyes. Her hand on his forehead, “Damn Alec… you’re hotter than hell.”

“Wow…” He said with a cocky grin, “You finally admit it.”

It took her a second to understand, and then she hit him in the shoulder. “I didn’t mean it like that!” She yelled, and then smacked his shoulder again. 

“Ouch,” he replied with a puppy dog look, “Sick one here.”

“Yeah, I know… that’s WHAT I was referring too.” She sighed, taking in his appearance, “And you don’t look so good.”

He sighed, “Oh perfect. I go from ‘hot’ to ‘not so good’ in like five seconds.”

“Alec…”

He was about to respond but his lungs had other ideas as he started on a coughing fit. 

She rolled her eyes at him, pulling him over to sit on the couch. He sat down and she pushed his shoulders back to rest on the cushions. “Why the hell are you even out of bed?”

He finally stopped coughing, and shook his head at her. “You sound like Mole.”

“Excuse me?”

“He said the same thing just a min…” he started coughing again.

“Okay, that’s it.” She took his hand and pulled him to his feet. 

“What’s it?” he managed through coughs.

“You’re going home.”

He shook his head, “I’m fine.” He coughed again, “Fit as a fiddle,” and then sneezed. His hand went to the side of his head, he felt slightly dizzy. “Okay… maybe not a fiddle… banjo?”

She gave a small smile, shook her head, put her arm under his and around his back. “Let’s get you to bed.”

“Wow, ‘hot’ and ‘bed’ in under five minutes…” he didn’t get to finish his sentence as he got his ass smacked. His eyebrow shot up and he looked over at her as they started to walk to her door. 

“Couldn’t hit your back and make you cough again, and couldn’t kick your ass… so I compromised.” *Yep… that’s why.* She told herself.

He nodded as they got to the door, his mind trying to believe what she said to help him rationalize it. But he straightened his shoulders as she started to open the door. “I’m walking out there without your help Max.” She looked at him confused. “I have to.” Then she understood. He didn’t want to show the others his weakness. What he had just shown… her. She nodded and watched him take a deep breath and exit. She followed a few steps behind. 

Alec stopped in the middle of the room, and looked over at Mole, “More reports coming in?”

“Yep, still working.”

He nodded, took another breath and walked over to Dix. “Go get some rest. Luke’s better now, he can fill in.” Dix nodded, and reached for the phone. Alec turned back to Mole. “You have everything under control?” The reptilian nodded. “Good. If you need me… I’ll be in my apartment.” He took another deep breath and started walking to the exit.

“Got it,” Mole replied and then looked at Max following Alec. He nodded at her, and she gave him one in return before she left through the door. “I’ll be damned.” Mole said with a grin, shaking his head as he turned back to the television.  
_______________________________

His hand fumbled with the key, and her hand moved over his turning it in the lock. “Max… really I could had done it myself.”

She sighed as she walked with him though the door. “Yeah. Just like you could have gotten here all by yourself.”

“I only stumbled once or twice.” She rolled her eyes, as the door shut behind them. He started for the couch. 

“Oh no. Right to bed for you.”

“Bed this… bed that… Geez Max… what has gotten into you?” He then bit his tongue on that, feeling slightly nauseous at the hideous thought. 

“Funny.” She said and pushed him as they approached the bed. He fell easily back onto it. “At least you still have your ohhh so charming sense of humor,” she said rolling her eyes once again.

He waved at her, “Okay. I’m here. You can go now.”

She stood at the foot of his bed, and looked down at him. He still had his coat on. His shoes on. He was fully dressed and his eyes were already struggling to stay open. “Really? And what are you going to do?”

“Sleep.”

“Like that?”

Hazel yet slightly red eyes opened to look up at her. Part of his brain entertaining many ideas that were coming into his mind. But the other part won out. “Max. I’m fine. Thank you for helping me get home. You don’t need to do anything else.”

She wanted to storm out at his stubbornness. But she knew why he was doing it. Heck, she would be the same way. He hated being weak. He hated being vulnerable. He hated having to have others do things for him. She sighed and went and sat on the edge of the bed. “See… one problem.”

He looked at her strangely, “What’s that?”

“I know you’re lying.”

His eyes widened, “Lying? I am not. I’m fine.”

She shook her head, “If you were whining, and complaining… then I know you’re okay. But you aren’t.”

Alec sighed at her, “That makes no sense.”

She smiled, “Hey. I NEVER said YOU made SENSE.”

He laughed and then wished he didn’t as he started coughing again. He tried to sit up, and her hands helped pull his shoulders up. They then went to his back, hitting it lightly as he coughed. He stopped after a minute, and turned and looked at her, “Max…”

“Don’t even. I’m not going anywhere.”

“It’s just like the cold or the flu. I’ll be just fine.”

She nodded, “Yeah, you WILL be. But you aren’t right now.”

“Other people are sick. Maybe you should go check on Cindy, Sketchy, and… Logan.” 

She shook her head, “And they have all been sick before. You haven’t.”

“So? What about all the other transgenics that are sick, getting sick, or were sick?” He stopped looking at her for a second, his brain trying to comprehend it. “You didn’t play nursemaid to them.”

She swallowed. He was right. She hadn’t. “Well…” she tried to think of an answer. “Everyone else had enough sense to know when to give in and just be sick. Take time out, and get rest. You on the other hand…” She just let her sentence trail off.

He nodded, “So you’re just here to make sure I take care of myself, because you don’t think I can do it.” Now that made sense to him.

Max sighed, “No. You’re just stubborn and would have stayed at Headquarters until you passed out.”

“Well I’m not there anymore. I’m here. And I’m going to go to sleep.”

“Do you really want me to leave that bad?” She finally asked hurt at the thought.

His hand shot out quickly to hers before he knew what he was doing, “No. Not at all…” He stopped and then closed his eyes. *Why did I do that?* he asked himself. *You know why.* He opened them again releasing her hand. “I just think your time could be better spent by doing something else. With someone else than me.”

She sighed, “Alec…”

He shook his head, “Gem and the baby are still sick. She’s probably got her hands…”

Max cut him off, “Yeah and Joshua is feeling much better and already over there helping.”

“The medical center needs…”

She stopped them again, “And they asked me to leave.”

“What?” he said angrily and too quickly, starting another round of coughing.

She patted him on the back soothingly as she explained while he coughed. “Well… since it was me the virus was made from… some of the patients… especially the younger ones…” She looked down not finishing.

He stopped coughing, and took a deep breath, his lungs rattled slightly. He took another one and turned to her. His other hand moved her chin up to look at him. “I’m sorry.”

“Not your fault.”

“They don’t blame you. They know that…”

She nodded, “I know. But it still…” She closed her eyes. 

“It still hurts.” She nodded again as he finished her statement for her. 

He took another breath, “Okay… you can stay.”

She opened her eyes, shook her head and then looked at him. “What?”

He knew, or at least he thought he knew the reason she wanted to stay now. She wanted to feel useful. Like she was helping. And basically he was the only one that might even let her. He had to admit that he didn’t mind the idea. But being sick had definitely put down his usual defenses with her. As he had already displayed. But he wasn’t going to turn her away and make her feel any worse than she already did.

“If you WANT to stay. And if you have NOTHING else MORE important to do. And…” 

She waited, and then prompted, “And? What other condition?”

He looked at her seriously, “You can’t use this against me.”

She was thoroughly confused. “Against you? Alec… you’re sick. This is totally out of your hands. How could I accuse you of…” Then she stopped. Reality again hitting her like a ton of bricks. Less than two weeks ago she would have done just that without thinking twice. Then she just answered him, “I won’t. I promise.”

He had watched the changes of emotions that ran over her face as she sat there before him and he knew she really had changed her view about him. She had actually, really understood what she had been doing. He saw the hurt she was self-inflicting herself with because of it. His thumb lightly moved against the back of her hand, which he just realized he still held. But he had no clue what to say or do to make it better, except maybe believe that she had really changed.

Max looked down at their hands, and then back at him smiling slightly. “Okay. Enough talking.” He raised an eyebrow at her, and she just laughed. *At least he’s still got his sense of humor,* she thought. She lightly swatted his shoulder, and then freed her hand from him, and moved to his coat. “Now you have a high temperature…”

“We all have high temperatures.”

She rolled her eyes as he helped to shrug the coat off. She flung it on the chair in the corner. “Not THIS high.”

He moved his head back and forth, moved his lips, imitating her. He got another hit to his shoulder. “With you around I should seriously invest in shoulder padding.”

“Ha ha, very funny. I wouldn’t have to hit you, if you would behave.”

“But then you’d get bored.” She tried not to smile, she really did, but he caught it. “See?”

She clenched her jaw, and pointed at his shirt. “Off.” His eyes looked at her and as he was about to open his mouth, “Don’t EVEN start.”

He nodded, and pulled the fabric over his head. She took it from him and he laid back against the cool sheets, and sighed.

“Better?” He nodded again at her question. She then stood up and moved to the end of the bed.

His smiled faded, “Well thanks. I’ll get some sleep and…”

“Huh?” she asked as she leaned over and pulled off his one shoe. 

His eyes opened again immediately, and he watched her take the other one off. “I thought you were leaving.”

She took the toes of his socks, one in each hand and pulled. Her strength and struggle with the fabric actually pulled him down the bed a little bit and they both laughed. She looked back up at him, “You said I could stay.”

He swallowed. She wanted to stay. She was here. Being nice. And… undressing him. Had he died? He almost wanted to pinch himself to be sure. “Yeah. But I thought…”

Max grabbed the edge of the sheet and pulled it over him. “I’m not leaving until you’re asleep. And then I’ll be back to check on you.” She looked at the sheet then back at him. “Now take off those pants.”

He shook his head as he bit his tongue, as his hands went under the sheet. He removed his jeans and then brought them back out, and threw them in the pile with his others. “Anything else?”

She shook her head, “I know this may be a new one for you… but you can leave you’re underwear on.”

“Well… I would if I was wearing any.” Was out of his mouth as a come back even before he realized it, and then he tensed waiting for the hit. When it didn’t come, he looked at her. 

She had completely stilled at his words. Too many images bombarded her mind. Images that she had been trying to keep pushed aside since he had teased her about her ‘hot’ comment. Her brain then started yelling at her to SAY something. “Ha ha… again with the jokes.” She said and hit the side of the bed… at least that had been her intention. But her hand made contact with his hip instead. Her fingertips feeling the sheet but nothing else between her and him. Her eyes shot up and caught hazel looking back at her. 

“I wasn’t joking,” he said seriously.

His deep voice hit her ears, and she replied, “I can tell.” Her hand moved quickly away. “Now that you ‘more comfortable.’ Get some sleep.”

“Right,” he said and turned onto his side facing her. Allowing the sheet to bunch up around him, thus covering more of his waist. Just in case his dreams where a little… He coughed again slightly, and she patted his back. He looked up at her, “Thanks.”

“No problem,” she replied rubbing his back lightly. Her fingertips moving over the soft yet extremely hot skin. 

He knew he should sleep. But he didn’t want to. If he fell asleep she would leave. And right now this was nice. But his eyes were already struggling to stay open. He tried to think of something to talk about. Something… to keep awake with. “So how is Cindy?

Max smiled, shaking her head. He didn’t want to go to sleep. Such a little boy. “Much better, just some sniffles.”

“Sketch?” he asked through a long yawn.

“Not to bad. Still a small cough and runny nose.”

He nodded slightly in his sleepy state barely aware, “Logan?”

Max looked at him and then up in thought. That was the second time he had mentioned him. “Actually I have no idea. We haven’t talked since we broke up. Why do you…”she stopped and then looked down at him. He was sound asleep. She shook her head and smiled. “Yep. He has that effect on a lot of people.” She said softly as she stood and tucked the sheet more around him. 

She then stood up, and watched him. His breathing was even, but it occasionally rumbled from the congestion in his lungs. The main thing though was he was asleep. That was the best medicine for any X5. She walked to door, taking one last glance back. “I’ll be back soon.” She said quietly, and shut the door behind her softly.   
_______________________________

His nose twitched slightly, and his face pushed further into the pillow trying to stay with the images that were playing in his mind. Images of dark eyes, full lips, curvy hips… His nose twitched again and he rolled onto his stomach, and groaned lightly as the effect of those images pressed against the mattress. A small giggle rung in his ears bringing him a little more out of his dream state. 

She sat on his couch, watching him trying not to wake up. The white sheet twisted around him. His bare back towards her. She tried not to think about what was NOT under that sheet. She tried not to think of the tented fabric she had tried to avert her eyes from before he rolled over. She tried not to hear the groan he made as he had moved onto his stomach, making her let out a slightly nervous giggle. Her brain tried not to ask the question of just who he was dreaming of. 

She watched the muscles of his shoulders move, as he tried to pull the pillow more over his face, clinging to what he was dreaming of. She averted her gaze back down to the large bowl of soup steaming in front of her, and stirred it again. The steam rising, making the smell spread through the room. She stirred again, a slightly evil smile on her lips, knowing he could smell it. That it was waking him up. 

Max sighed at herself. Here she had been wanting him to sleep. It was the best medicine, but now she was just trying to wake him up. Why? She was bored. She wanted someone to talk to. And everyone else was sick. Well… so was he… but… She sighed again, stirring the soup, and just about jumped out of her skin.

“Are you trying to torture me?”

Her eyes shot up, and then she smiled back at him. “You’re awake!”

Alec looked at the bowl of soup, then back up at her. “Well… yeah. You brought that in here… what did you think would happen?”

She grinned, “Took you long enough. Been waiting for over five minutes.”

He shook his head as he turned over and bunched the sheet around him even more. “Well… I was really, really deep in sleep.” He said with a yawn, rubbing his eyes.

Max nodded, “I could tell. What were you dreaming about that made you so happy?” she asked teasing him.

He stopped, realizing exactly what she meant. *Oh shit.* He tried to think of something, anything… then his cocky smile came up as he blurted, “Why? See something you like?”

She was caught off guard by the comment, but refused to let him see it. “What if I did?”

He swallowed hard, but he didn’t have time for a comeback or to really analyze her answer because he started to cough again. She was next to him in a flash, patting his back. A few seconds later, he took a clear breath and waved at her, telling her it was over. Then he spoke, “Thanks.”

She didn’t say anything but stood up and walked back over to the coffee table. She picked up the bowl and then went back and sat on the edge of the bed. His eyes watched her, and then looked inside the bowl. “Did you make it?”

“Why?” She asked.

“Cause I do want to get better.”

Her free hand smacked his bare shoulder, and he gave her a hurt look. “I can cook!” He just nodded. “I CAN.”

“Need I remind you about that time that you…”

She gave him an evil look, “That wasn’t my fault!” He nodded again. “The knob to the stove was broke…”

“Uh huh.”

“Alec!” He laughed, until he saw the bowl in her hand start to move over his lap and an evil look in her eye. 

“Okay! Okay! You can cook!”

She smiled triumphantly, then admitted, “But I didn’t do it. It’s from the mess hall. Since almost everyone is sick, their making tons of chicken noodle soup.”

He smiled, “Oh good. I’ll live then.” He saw her eyes widen and he just laughed.

“Well… I was going to feed it to you. But since you are doing sooooo much better. I’ll let you do it yourself,” she said trying to hand him the bowl.

Alec quickly closed his eyes and leaned back against the pillows, putting a hand over his forehead. “Ohhhh, I don’t feel so good.” He opened one eye peaking at her, and caught her lips trying not to turn up in a smile.

She shook her head at him with a sigh, “Such a little boy.” He gave her a small pout, and she closed her eyes. “You’re horrible.” She opened her eyes again, and he gave her his puppy dog eyes. “Oh will you just stop! You win okay.” He smiled. “But only to get you to STOP.” 

“I can live with that,” he said as he propped himself up on the pillows. 

She brought up a spoon full and then looked back at him, “Now do I have to make the airplane sounds and everything?”

“Nah… maybe next time.”

Max rolled her eyes and brought the spoon up. His eyes widened slightly at watching her lightly blow over the liquid. She misinterpreted the look and explained, “It’s still really hot.” He nodded, and she then moved the spoon towards him. He opened his mouth, letting the metal come in contact with his tongue, and then closed his lips as she slid the spoon out. 

She moved the spoon back into the bowl as she averted her gaze quickly back to the soup. “How is it?” 

*Did her voice just quiver?* his brain asked as he responded, “Good.”

*Was his voice deeper than usual?* she asked herself as she spoke, “Want more?”

“Yes.” His brain continuing, *So much more.*

She brought up another spoonful, her eye following it towards his mouth. Her hand shaking slightly as it started to pass his lips, a couple drops fell from the spoon, splattering on his chest.

His mouth promptly took the spoonful, swallowing it, as his body jumped. She moved the bowl to the nightstand quickly with one hand, as the other grabbed a corner of the sheet, moving it to his chest. “Sorry.” She said softly as her hand rubbed the fabric over his skin. 

Alec’s hand caught her wrist, stopping her movement as she leaned over him. “It’s okay.” Her dark eyes looked back up at him. “It wasn’t too hot. Just… startling.”

“Good…” she said looking up into dark hazel pools. “Maybe it would be better if you did it yourself.”

He looked down at her, her hand still at his chest, her eyes… where they slightly dilated? He mentally shook himself, *No. No. I’m just sicker than I thought.* Then he responded, “Actually… I’m not that hungry.” *For food,* his brain finished.

Her other hand came up to his forehead, “Well at least your temperature is back to normal.” He gave her a small frown. “What? What’s wrong?”

“I guess I’m not ‘hot’ anymore.” She rolled her eyes at him, and sat up. Then noticed his hand still holding hers. Her eyes went to his, and then he immediately released his hold. His mind was yelling at him to stop all this now. “Well… see I’m getting better. Thanks to you. So now you can go make others feel better.”

Was he trying to get rid of her? She was getting sick of the mixed signals he was giving out. “Alec… what the hell is this?”

“What?” He was thoroughly confused.

She shook her head and stood up. “One minute you want me here. The next you want me to leave. Which is it?”

“Max…” He looked down, not really knowing how to answer her. Of course he wanted her there. More than anything. But… the more she stayed, the more he wanted her there. And that was the thing. He had to get to over that. He had to get over her.

She watched him look away from her, and she closed her eyes. In a huff she walked over and grabbed her coat. “Well… you know what. When you figure out what you want. Let me know.”

He looked up quickly, “What?” he asked as she slammed the door behind her. He watched the door literally vibrate as his brain tried to figure out exactly what had just happened. 

A split second later he was on his feet, the sheet wrapped tightly around him as he was opening his door. “Max!” he yelled but she was already gone. He looked down at the ground, and then leaned against the frame of the door. He wasn’t sure what he would have said if she had still been there. He wasn’t exactly sure what she was talking about. 

Part of him thought she just wanted to stay and be useful by helping him. That his attempts to make her understand that he was okay, and that she could go and not feel obligated to stay were interpreted wrongly. Trying to believe that was all it was. 

But that other part of him. That other part that wasn’t letting him get over her. Was trying to tell him something else. Trying to tell him she was there for more reasons than he thought. That she had been flirting with him too. That she had been affected as well. He closed his eyes, trying to push those thoughts away. Because they just didn’t make sense. They couldn’t make sense. Max would NOT be flirting with another man when she was with Logan. And she certainty wouldn’t be flirting with HIM. He sighed, and then spun around quickly from a cough beside him.

“I didn’t know toga’s were IN this time of year.”

“Mole… what are you doing here?”

“Well… I was just going back to Headquarters after I dropped something off at my apartment. I do live just a couple doors down from you. Or are you too sick to remember?”

Alec sighed and nodded, “Yes. Yes… I remember.” He sighed, he was just… pre-occupied.

He looked at the sheet, looked down the hall, then back to the man in front of him. “So… exactly what type of care did she give you?”

“Mole…” his voice gave a warning as he headed back into his apartment. The reptilian not taking the clue that he didn’t want company, or just not caring, he followed behind him.

Alec sighed, grabbed his pants, and gave him an angry look as he headed into the bathroom. Mole sat down on the couch, putting his feet up on the table. “You know… it pains me to say it. It truly does. But the woman…” he shook his head to himself, “has changed.”

The door to the bathroom opened, “What?” Alec asked as he walked out in a pair of jeans, and tossed the sheet onto the bed. He put a finger into his ear, twisting it slightly. “What did you say?”

Mole huffed slightly, “You heard me. Don’t try and get more out of me.” The other man smiled slightly. “She still doesn’t deserve you.” 

Alec rolled his eyes, “Well it really doesn’t matter if she does or doesn’t, now does it?”

“Wait… ‘does’ what now?”

He sat down at the foot of his bed after he grabbed his shoes and socks. “It doesn’t matter if she ‘deserves’ me or not. Because we can’t be together like that.”

Mole sighed, he hated to ask, he really did. He was beginning to wonder if they really had mixed feline into his cocktail, “Why can’t you?”

Alec put his last shoe on and stood up looking for his shirt. “What do you mean why?” He found it and quickly pulled on the black T-shirt. “Hello? Logan.”

The reptilian shook his head confused, “What does the human have to do with this?”

He threw his hands up in the air, “What doesn’t he have to do with this? He’s ALWAYS had something to do with EVERYTHING. First it was Max trying to leave Manticore to get back to LOGAN. Then it was the virus that was made to kill LOGAN and keep them apart. Then it was White putting that explosive in my neck and the scientist guy saving me instead of giving Max and LOGAN the cure.” He grumbled as he walked over to get his coat, stating incident after incident. “Her wanting me to pull the prize fight because LOGAN had worked so hard on that case… not that two hundred thousand dollars wouldn’t have helped out… Noooo.”

He shrugged his leather coat on, talking as he did so. “Oh and lets not forget the one most important thing now that they have the cure…” he sighed and sat back on his bed. “LOGAN makes her happy. Not me.”

Mole’s eyes widened, “Excuse me?”

“You heard me! She’s with HIM. You said yourself you saw the change in her. She’s actually HAPPY.” He looked down. “And no matter what. I can’t take that away from her. And I won’t be that guy to try and steal her…”

He cut him off. “Alec…”

Alec shook his head, not listening. “So I just need to get over her. I just need…”

Mole stood up, moved across the room, pulling the man to his feet by his shoulders, stopping the other man’s ramblings. “You don’t KNOW?”

He stopped and looked confused up at him, “Know what?”

“She broke up with the human.”  
_____________________________

She raced through the streets. The sun reflected off her tinted glasses as it started to set into the pacific. 

Max took a right, and revved up the engine a little more. The wind blowing through her hair, hitting her face, it usually made her feel alive. Usually. But right now, her mind was too preoccupied to enjoy it. 

She could understand him pushing her away. She didn’t like it. But she could understand why he would. After all the time she treated him like shit, she couldn’t just expect him to get over it quickly. If at all. She could hope he would. That he would eventually forgive her, but he didn’t have too.

But what she couldn’t understand was that if he hadn’t forgiven her, if he hadn’t gotten over what she had done for so long, then why were there times when he wasn’t pushing her away? Why were there times when it seemed he was pulling her closer?

Sure he had always teased her. But this just wasn’t teasing. And he had always flirted with her. But before it was always as a joke. He was never serious. Was he?

She made a left and moved around two slow moving cars as her brain still tried to figure out what was going on. Since their big blow up things had seriously changed between them. She sighed knowing that she had also seriously changed. 

Maybe that was it. Maybe he didn’t know how to deal with her anymore. She shook her head to herself as she made a right. 

She wanted to scream. How the hell can I figure out what he wants, what he thinks, if I don’t know the answers to those questions for myself?

She zipped through a yellow light, as part of her brain seemed to slap the other side. *Yes you do. You know exactly what you want. You just don’t want to admit it. Because if you admit it… and you can’t have it…* She felt her heart constrict at the thought and didn’t let her brain go on with the thought. 

Max wanted to scream to herself. Why was she even letting herself think that he would want her? How many times had he tried to get rid of her? Heck he had given her the means to be with another man. Wouldn’t that be the first clue?

She closed her eyes briefly and then opened them as she made another left. But he had said he did it to make her happy. She sighed. But he also did it because you had blamed him for keeping you apart for so long, he didn’t want to be blamed anymore even if it wasn’t his fault. 

She round the bend and started to slow down. Her mind played the images of his sheet-covered body. The feel of the muscles of his chest under her fingertips. Then it moved on to the looks she had seen from others towards him. Other X5’s… X5 females. She let out a small growl at the thought, surprising even herself. He could be with just about any one of them. Not just cause of his looks… but also because they respected him. So why the hell would he want someone who had treated him so bad?

She slowed down even more and pulled her baby over behind a dumpster in a back alley. But then why was he always there? Why was he always doing things, saying things to make her feel better? He knew what she needed, and he gave it to her. He knew when she had to scream and yell to get her frustrations out. He knew when she needed to be reassured that everything was going to be okay. He knew when she needed that comforting touch, that little bit of tenderness. She closed her eyes as she sat on her bike. 

He seemed to know her so well. He seemed to care about her. But did he? Did he really? Or was it all just for this mission? Just until the whole virus-comet thing was over. She stood up and swung her leg off the bike, and started walking towards the building. 

She needed answers. But she just had no idea how she was ever going to get them.   
_______________________________

The words echoed through his brain, and hazel eyes turned wide. He shook the hands off his shoulders. He had to have heard the other man wrong, “What?”

“Max broke up with the ordinary.”

He blinked twice, and moved his head back and forth trying to take in the information. His brow crinkling in confusion, “When?”

“A day or two after you gave her the cure.”

He closed his eyes and sat back hard on the bed. His brain was going a mile a minute trying to figure things out, trying to make sense of it all. Then he started laughing.

Mole looked at him like the man had finally lost it. “What’s so funny?”

Alec shook his head. “Oh, don’t tell me. She’s back to the ‘we aren’t like that’ phase.”

“What?”

He laughed again, “You know the… ‘we aren’t dating’ but yet they see each other all the time and screw like bunnies.” He shook his head again, “Max can never admit when she is in a relationship with anyone.”

Mole stared at him, and sighed. “It really does pain me to clear up your misunderstanding. But from what Intel I have. Her and the human haven’t had any contact since she moved back to Terminal City.”

That immediately brought his eyes back up to the reptilians. “What? What about the virus we sent out… for Cindy, Sketchy, Normal, and …” Mole just shook his head. “Logan didn’t get it?”

“Not from Max or us.”

His eyes stared off into the room, not focusing on anything, and then they returned to the man in front of him. “But she’s been going out.”

“Yeah.”

“Where?”

“You didn’t want to know.” He got an evil look. “Some bars. Some dance clubs.”

“With who?”

“Cindy, Sketchy. Normal even came out one night.”

He was seriously having trouble comprehending it. Then his eyes hardened to the man in front of him, “How long have you known?”

“A little after she moved back here.”

“Who told you?”

“Joshua.”

Alec’s eyes widened with anger, “Why didn’t you TELL me?”

“We thought you knew.”

“WE?” he said getting to his feet. “How many people know?”

“Everyone.”

His fists tightened, “And no one thought they might want to inform me of this little piece of information? Talk to me about it?”

Mole pointed his cigar at him, “You NEVER wanted to talk about it.”

Alec ran his hands through his hair, and he gripped it tightly trying not to pull it out. He had to get out. He had to get out of there before he exploded. He had no clue how to deal with this information. Because all it did was bring on more and more questions.

Why did she break up with Logan? Why didn’t she tell him? Why was she back in Terminal City? Why had she changed so much? Why was she being nice to him? What had she meant when she stormed out earlier? 

There were just too many whys. “I’ve gotta get out of here,” was all he said as he walked out of his apartment.  
_______________________________

Two feet hit hard metal, as a gust of wind greeted the visitor. Or was it more like a welcome home hug? They couldn’t be sure as they walked around to that spot. The one they usually sat on, looking out over the city. The fabric of their pants doing little to protect the butt that was sitting on the cold metal surface. A slight chill ran up their spine. 

The solitude made the questions more profound. It was supposed to make it easier to think, but it didn’t seem to be working. Troubled eyes watched the last rays of the sun fizzle away, and then looked up into the dark night. The stars already coming out. *And more of those damn shooting stars.* 

The body laid back on the slanted surface, one arm going behind their head. A sigh issued forth at the thought of that, *Damn comet.* It was coming. It was going to be there soon. Hopefully everything would work like it was supposed to. But things always seemed to go differently than planned. 

Another sigh came out, and a fist pounded the metal beside them. Why did everything have to be so complicated?   
_______________________________

“So is the comet still on schedule?”

Luke nodded from his computer as he rubbed his nose. “Yep.”

“Good,” Mole said as he looked at it through the telescope. It was much bigger now, and he could see much more of it. He then moved it, taking a quick look at the moon. Getting bored with that, he quickly punched in the coordinates of some of the places in Seattle. 

Jam Pony was quieter than usual, but not a big surprise since they were working with half of the staff.

The military Headquarters had even less troops than usual because most of them were sick. If it wasn’t for the transgenics themselves not being fully up to par he would have suggested a take over of the city. But knew that even if they could, the idea would never have flown far.

Then he viewed the Space Needle, “Well, well, well. That’s where you went.”

“Who?” Luke asked.  
_______________________________

Knuckles hit wood, again and again. Finally the door opened, but the visitor was greeted with a sneeze instead of a hello. “Bless you.”

Cindy gave a smile to her friend, “Oh don’t even give me that. At least this is almost over.” 

Max walked into the apartment behind her friend and shut the door. “How’s Sketchy?”

“Oh, he’s almost good as new.” She sat down on the couch, pulling the blanket over her legs, “Well… as good as Sketchy can be.”

She removed her coat and sat next to her, “Normal?”

OC save her a look, “Okay, what’s wrong?”

“What? What do you mean what’s wrong?”

“You’re asking about Normal. What are you avoiding?”

Max sighed and leaned back on the couch, “Couldn’t I just want to come over here and check on you? See how everyone was?” She caught Cindy’s disbelieving looking out of the corner of her eye, and sighed again. “Am I that transparent?”

“Depends.”

She turned her head towards her, “On?”

“What you’re trying to hide, and whom you are hiding it from. And of course, who’s looking.” 

Max gave her a confused look. “Huh?”

Cindy laughed, “Boo, just tell me what happened. What did the two of you fight about now?”

She was about ready to ask how she knew, but decided it wasn’t even worth it. “I’m confused.”

“Well, that’s obvious. About what?”

“What he wants.”

OC turned with her arm on the back of the couch, supporting her head on her fist. “So… let me see if I am understanding this correctly. You’ve finally figured out that you want the boy…”

Max’s eyes widened, and she cut her off, “How did you…”

Cindy waved her hand, “Please Sugar… you just asked how transparent you were.”

“You could have told me.”

“Like you would have believed me,” she said rolling her eyes.

She was right. Max sighed and looked up at the ceiling, “Okay… go on.”

“But now you are confused because you don’t know if he wants you back.” 

Her friend nodded in confirmation of her statement. “He keeps pushing me away, only to pull me back.”

“Explain.”

Max sat up on the couch, leaning her back on the armrest. “He keeps trying to get me away from him. To go out. To ‘be happy.’ Any time we get close… we touch… it starts to take a turn into something… more. He freezes up. He pulls away.”

“I hear a but.”

“But… Then he’s always there for me. Cheering me up. Making me feel better. He got me a punching bag for crying out loud.” Cindy gave a small snorting laugh at the comment. “And then he claimed it was a ‘peace offering.’ I mean… what the hell was that?”

“He knows right?”

“Knows what?”

“About Logan. You did tell him, right?”

Max sighed, “I didn’t have too.” She got a questioning look. “He already found out. I guess you can’t keep a secret in Terminal City.”

“Maybe he’s upset that you didn’t tell him.”

She shook her head, “No. That’s one thing that’s changed. He’s definitely letting me know when he’s angry with me.” She thought about it for a second, “Actually, he’s never brought it up and neither have I.”

Cindy sat there looking at her friend for a few minutes. Her brain trying to process the information she had just received with all the other data that she had gathered since she had met the subject in question. It simply was not computing. Because honestly, she had been surprised to find out that the two of them weren’t all over each other after Max had gotten rid of that little complication in her life that was messing it up. That complication named Logan.

“Well?” Max asked impatiently, “I’m waiting for your words of wisdom.”

“Honestly… I’m just as confused as you are.”

Max threw her hand up in the air, “Oh great. Just perfect!”   
_______________________________

Hazel eyes closed as hands came up to cover his chiseled face. His elbows resting on his knees as he stopped looking out over the now dark city. He had been sitting there, trying to come up with answers, but it just led to more and more questions. 

She broke up with him. They weren’t together. This whole time. *This whole fuckin’ time!* His eyes tightened even further shut, his jaw clenching. 

How many times did he flirt with her and then feel horrible about it? How many times did he want to, and almost did try to make a move on her but had stopped? How many times had he acted like an idiot in front of her because he thought he had went to far and had to take a step back? A step that he shouldn’t have had to take, a step he shouldn’t have had to worry about, feel bad about.

He wanted to scream. Why hadn’t she told him? Was it her way to keep him away? Maybe she knew that he wouldn’t make a play for her if there was that between them. But why would she try to keep him away? If she didn’t want him, all she would have to do is say no. Or maybe she just didn’t want to have to tell him. 

Alec sighed. Then again, maybe she thought he knew. That’s what Mole had said. That everyone thought that he knew. But everyone didn’t find out until days later. Why didn’t she tell him before? Why didn’t she tell him when she moved back to Terminal City? His fists clenched as he remembered that night at the club. When he had asked her about Logan. When she had already broken up with him by that time. She had avoided the question, she had dodged it. She could have told him then, but she had decided not to.

He shook his head and looked back out over the city. They had been fighting at that time. They were not exactly on the best of terms with each other. But lately… lately they had been under surprisingly good terms. Why didn’t she say something then? Part of his brain started to play her advocate. Maybe by that time she thought you already knew. The other side tried to contradict the other. But shouldn’t she have at least talked to you about it? The other responded. Maybe she didn’t know how to bring it up, what to say. She isn’t too perceptive with her emotions.

He laughed to himself at that one. Neither of them were. And communicating emotions was even more of a problem. How were you supposed to tell someone else what you felt, when you yourself had no clue?

But he did have a clue. At least about his. And that was what was so maddening. Because before, he could just keep trying to push it away. But now… now there was a glimmer of hope. 

He sighed, angry with himself. If there was hope, then why were there all these questions? He closed his eyes again, still trying to figure it out.

“Okay. Just try and think logically.” He almost wanted to laugh at that. Logic and Max never seemed to go together. But nothing else seemed to explain things. Might as well try.

“Just set it out in a timeline.” He told himself and then laid back on the hard surface, looking back at the stars.

“I accidentally told Logan that Max and I were never together.” He rolled his eyes at his own statement as he continued to talk to himself. “She got mad, I got mad, and then informed her I wouldn’t be taking any of her crap.” He sighed, *Yeah. And you have this glimmer of hope? Why?* 

He shook the thought away and went on. “Things get… tense… and I give her the cure and get her to… leave.” He sighed again, not liking where this was going. “She’s pissed at me… big shock… and moves out.” He opened his eyes looking up at the streaking white lights across the sky. “She goes to Logan. They… sleep together.”

Alec managed to suppress the shudder and anger at that statement, “Then she breaks up with him.” He shook his head. It made no sense. “Unless…” He almost wanted to laugh. “Unless the sex was THAT bad.” He rolled his eyes again at himself, *Geez… YOU really can’t take anything seriously can you?* But then his brain replayed her in the dance club. She was trying to have guys hit on her, and she was very angry when he had basically told the whole room that they were together. 

“Okay… so what? She realized ‘Mr Perfect,’ wasn’t perfect in every way.” But that didn’t explain everything else, especially her change in attitude towards him. Was it because she realized that no one could be perfect that she had lowered her standards now? That her standards were so low now she could actually be nice to him? Nice enough to him to… He closed his eyes again. She didn’t think THAT low of him did she? Sure he would talk… but she wasn’t… she couldn’t be trying to get him for that… could she? 

Those comments and the look in her eyes when she had been ‘taking care of him.’ She had managed to get him out of his clothes. He shook his head at the line of thought. “Max is NOT like that. She wouldn’t do that.” But part of his brain questioned, *Would she?*  
_______________________________

“He still up there?”

Mole moved from the telescope and sat back on the couch. He reached for the next gun to clean, then looked over at Luke. “Yep.”

“What is he doing?”

He sighed, as he emptied the barrel. “Just sitting there.”

“What happened now?”

Mole smirked, “He didn’t know.”

“Know what?”

“About her and the ordinary.”

Luke’s eyes got bigger. “But everyone…” Mole nodded. “He seemed to know when ever we…” He nodded again. “Then where is Max?”

“Intel has her at Cindy’s.” 

Luke turned back to his desk and picked up his phone.

“What are you doing?”

“Calling Alec, he needs to know…”

“No. Don’t”

Luke turned back to him with a questioning look, “Why?”

“He left to be alone. To think. If he wanted to know where she was, he wouldn’t just be sitting there.”

“But shouldn’t we…”

Mole shook his head. “They gotta work whatever it is they are going to have or not have on their own.”  
_______________________________

“AHHH!” she screamed in frustration and a second later the same pillow hit her in the head. An evil glare appeared when her eyes came back into view. “There goes your hourly fee.”

OC opened her mouth, “I don’t remember getting paid for our other ‘couch’ talks.”

They laughed lightly, then Max sighed. “Seriously Cindy I just don’t understand,” She said sitting there trying to think of an answer as to why the man was acting so strangely.

Cindy shook her head, “I wish I could tell you. It doesn’t help that I’m not around to see what he’s doing or not doing for that matter. But what I did see of the way he acted around you at the club…”

“How did he act?” 

“Oh come on Boo. He wanted you. It was obvious. Just as obvious as you wanting him. You were just both letting your tempers and stubbornness get in the way.”

“Okay… fine. But if he wants me… then why is he pushing me away?” Then he eyes widened. Then… “Nah.”

“What?” OC prompted.

She shook her head, “Couldn’t be.”

“WHAT?”

Max looked over at her friend. “When I was taking care of him. He mentioned Logan.”

“He did?”

She nodded, “Yeah. I didn’t think about it at the time.”

“What did he ask?”

“He asked how he was. With the virus going around, and all you guys getting sick and stuff. How would I know?”

Cindy looked at her, “Maybe he still thinks you’re friends.”

“I guess.”

OC waited… “Well?”

“Well what?”

“What was it that you thought of, but then dismissed?”

Max thought about it for a minute, and shook her head, “Well… he did ask how he was.”

“Yeah…”

“You don’t think…” Cindy rolled her hand in a gesture to make her keep going. “I mean… he does call him ‘buddy’ and ‘pal’…”

“Sugar… if you are about to say what I think you are, I may just get sick.”

Her eyes widened, “Oh GOD NO… not THAT.” She shuddered at the mental image. “I don’t know about Logan. But Alec… is definitely a straight arrow.” They both giggled at that. “What I meant was… You don’t think that they are actually… friends, do you?”

“Friends?”

“Yeah friends? I mean Alec makes comments all the time. Teasing him and such. But… their guys. They are weird like that.”

“Just one of the millions of reasons I switched sides.”

Max laughed and turned back to her friend. “But… could they be? I mean, I know how much Alec hated it when I lied to Logan about him and I being together. His whole ‘I wouldn’t steal another guy’s gal’ speech.”

“What are you getting at Boo?”

“Maybe on some strange level he sees Logan as a friend, and then WON’T be with me because of some weird friend thing.”

“Friend thing?”

“You know. How like some girl’s won’t date a guy that their best friend dated before. Or a guy won’t date someone that his brother…” Her eyes widened again, “Oh God. You don’t think he sees me as a sister do you?” She sat up quickly turning to OC. “I mean he’s Ben’s twin. Maybe he’s around me and is taking care of me because he feels like it’s some weird obligation to his twin…”

Cindy cut her off quickly. “Whoa girl. Stop.” Max sat there, her head coming up with more and more questions. “One. I SERIOUSLY don’t think that Alec sees ‘roller boy’ as that much of a friend. And he might have changed since then. But I do remember him dating two sisters at once, and two best friends at once. Which both him and Logan didn’t seem to have a problem with.” 

Max nodded and sighed, remembering that dinner party. Cindy continued, “And as for the brotherly thing… He MIGHT have a feeling that he needs to protect you because you were his twin’s ‘sister.’ BUT, I can guarantee you that he does NOT look at you like a sister. Only guys in Kentucky look at their sisters like that.”

They both started laughing again, but then Max sighed, and looked over at OC again, “What am I supposed to do?”

“Well, I know this may sound completely crazy, but you could always TALK to the man.”

Max’s eyes widened, “Cindy? Are you out of your mind?”

She shook her head, “You want answers. He’s the only one that has them.”

“But… But I can’t just… I can’t just ASK him.”

“Why not?”

“We aren’t like that…”

Cindy cut her off immediately, “If you start that shit with this boy… I’M going to smack you upside the head.”

Max stopped, leaned her head back against the couch. “Cindy…. I just can’t.”

“Why? You’ve said you have gotten closer.”

“Yeah… but not THAT close. It hasn’t been that long. And… and I don’t want to ruin things.”

“Ruin things? Sugar, you ran out of his apartment on basically an ultimatum. Which the boy probably has no clue what it is you asked from him.”

Max turned to look at her, “What do you mean he has no clue?”

“Well none of this makes sense. You’re confused as hell about what is going on. Maybe he’s in the same boat. And all the two of you are doing is rowing around in circles. One of you is going to have to take the other oar and get to shore.”

She sighed. “Okay… what IF you’re right. Why do I have to be the one to ask?” Cindy just gave her a look. “I mean… I walked out angry. Isn’t he supposed to come after me?”

“Girl… this is the REAL world. Not some smutty romance novel. Sometimes the damsel has to kill her own dragons and drag her knight back to the castle.”  
_______________________________

He heard the footsteps before he saw her. His brain actually contemplating whether to flee before she saw him or not. Because he just wasn’t sure if he was ready to confront her or the unanswered questions.

Before she even rounded the corner, she knew what she would find. She almost laughed. Cindy had urged her to go get answers from him, but she wanted some time to think first. That’s why she was there. But, there was no turning back now. 

There he was, sitting there, looking out over the city, his back straight, shoulders tense. She knew he knew she was there. But he didn’t say anything. She sighed lightly and went and sat down next to him. “How are you feeling?”

His hazel eyes kept looking straight ahead, “Much better.”

She nodded, and let her eyes look out over the lights. “Good.”

They just sat there for a minute, before he spoke, still not looking at her. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

Max turned to look at his profile, “Tell you what?”

He sighed and shook his head. Closing his eyes, “I had to find out from Mole… MOLE!” He stood up, wiping his pants.

She sat there looking up at him. She sighed, “About Logan… and me.” She said softly.

His hand went out at his side and then dropped back down, indicating she had hit the nail on the head. 

She sighed and stood up quickly. “If you were so upset that I didn’t tell you, why didn’t you yell at me before this?”

Alec spun around to her, “Excuse me?”

“Well you’ve been telling me what you are pissed about for awhile now. Why didn’t you mention it?”

He started to laugh, but the sound wasn’t one that would make anyone smile. “Kinda hard to do that Max… when I JUST found out a couple of hours ago.”

Her eyes widened, “What?”

“Yep. Everyone knew about your little breakup except me.” He nodded at himself and turned away from her, “I’m the laughing stock of Terminal City.”

She shook her head, still in shock, her brain cussing herself out, as she answered, “No you aren’t! We all thought you knew. I didn’t think there was a point bringing it up…”

He turned to look at her again, “No point in bringing it up?” She nodded at him, “Oh. Okay.” He waved the thought off. “Then I guess we have nothing left to talk about.” He said as he started to walk to the exit. That glimmer of hope quickly vanishing. 

Max watched his retreating form, “Alec…”

“See ya back at Terminal City. We can talk about work later.”

“Work?” What the? She watched him walking away, and then Cindy’s words snapped at her. “Damn it Alec, stop!” He sighed and turned to look at her, his face completely masked and she sighed. “Don’t do this.”

“Don’t do what?” he asked, his voice even.

“Talk to me.”

He shook his head, “Why?” he started to walk back to her. “Why should I talk to you? Huh? You obviously don’t want to talk to me. You don’t want to tell me what is going on in your life. So exactly what is it that you want to talk about?”

She ran her hand over her face. “God, sometimes you are just impossible,” she said before she even thought about it, and the look on his face and him turning to walk away told her how wrong those words were. She ran in front of him, her hands pushing at his chest to stop him. “Wait.” She saw his eyes close and his shoulders tense. “We both are.” 

His eyes opened to look at her. Her admission of being impossible too got his interest. She took a breath and continued, “We need to talk.” He was about to say something and she cut him off, “I have questions. Which…” She stopped and shook her head, “Which you… at least I think… you just answered one big one.” He looked at her slightly confused. “And you… you obviously either have questions or at least should be… corrected on what you think.”

He shook his head, “Max… what the hell are you talking about?”

“Alec… just sit your ass down and listen to me for a minute.”

He pulled away in a huff, went back over to the spot and plopped himself down. He really wasn’t in the mood to talk anymore. He really didn’t want to hear what she said because it didn’t matter anymore. The hope that she had wanted anything more from him was simply gone.

She followed and sat back next to him. “I thought you knew about the breakup.”

“You said that already.”

Max winced at the sound of his voice. He was angry, but there was more too it. She heard the hurt. She closed her eyes for strength. “I didn’t tell you after I did, because… well… we weren’t exactly speaking to each other.” She received a slight snort from him in confirmation of the understatement. “And then… well… when everything was better. Well… by that time I thought you had found out.”

He continued looking out at the buildings, “We basically already established that.” He closed his eyes, “But you… you never even brought it up. Never even asked me how I felt about…” he stopped shaking his head.

She turned to look at him, asking quietly, searching for his reason, “And why would I need to know about how you feel about my breakup?”

He shook his head slightly at the thought, “Exactly. Why would you?” He stopped not wanting to go any further. He got his answer. He had a lot more questions, but they really didn’t matter. It didn’t matter why she broke up with Logan. It was kinda obvious why she was back in Terminal City. Why was she being nice to him? He thought he might know the answer to that one. But he still had one question. “So what the heck were you referring to when you left my apartment earlier?”

Her head spun at the change in direction of the conversation. “What?”

Alec turned towards her, “You got all pissed and told me to figure out what I wanted, and to get back to you. Or something to that effect.”

She wasn’t sure how to respond to that one. She had spent all her time trying to figure out the reason he was acting like he was on the assumption that he already knew that she had broken up with Logan. But he didn’t know. So this whole time he kept pushing her away, pushing her to ‘be happy,’ he thought she was with Logan. He had thought that she was happy with another man. 

She wanted to scream. And while that answered that question, it brought out a ton of others. So was that the real reason he was pushing her away? Or was it something else? Did he, or at least had he until he found this out, want her? Or was it because she was with someone else, off limits, he would tease her with it, knowing it wouldn’t go anywhere? What could she tell him? The truth?

He looked at her, waiting. No answer was forthcoming. He started to get up, “Yeah Max… you REALLY wanted to talk.”

Her hand brought him back down to the metal surface. “When I said that… I was confused. I didn’t know you didn’t know.”

He shook his head, “What?”

“I was angry because to me your behavior didn’t make any sense. But I thought you knew about the breakup. But since you didn’t… it makes a little more sense.”

He closed his eyes and shook his head again, “What?” He was confused, seriously.

She smiled at the befuddlement on his face. “Alec… sometimes I swear… you’ve been… flirting with me.” He was about to say something. “Now… you’ve always done that… teasingly. But lately… it seemed there was more to it.” His mouth opened, but she continued. “And then when it seems you get to this line, you stop. Pull away from it. Let’s just say…” She stopped and took a breath, “It finally irritated the hell out of me, and I was trying to make you make a decision of crossing that line.”

There she had said it, and she waited. Waited for what he would say or do next.

Alec sat there looking at her. Her face looking down at the metal between them, refusing to look at him while she waited for some type of answer from him. But he wasn’t sure how to answer her. She had noticed him flirting with her. She had noticed him then pulling away. But she didn’t know he had pulled away because of Logan. But now she did know why. And she wanted him to make a decision of what he wanted. 

He shook his head, “So let me get this straight.” She slowly looked up at him. “You do or do not want me to cross that line?”

“Alec… if I didn’t want you too, do you think I would really be giving you the choice?” Her breath lightly hit his face as she leaned in close to him.

She had a point. He swallowed as he looked down at her. Her dark eyes looking back up at him with that look of desire she had before. How easy would it be to just give in? Kiss her. And give her what she wanted. But that’s not all that he wanted. He didn’t want to just kiss her. He didn’t want to just have sex with her. It wasn’t going to be enough for him. 

She looked up at him, saw the hunger there as well, and waited, holding her breath. Until his words seemed to break her heart in two. “I can’t.” And then she watched his form stand up and start to walk away.  
_______________________________

{{Sixty more cases have been reported in Rome, and twenty-three in Sydney within the hour. One fatality has been reported outside of Berlin.}}

“Oh boy.”

“What now?” Luke asked turning from the news and back to Mole at the telescope.

“The Mrs.’s is now up there with him.”

“That’s good right? They might actually talk.”

Mole laughed, “Them? Talk? And actually have it communicate something?”

Luke sighed. The lizard man had a point.   
_______________________________

She almost let him go. The pain in her heart was too much. But she wouldn’t. She had seen that look in his eyes. It was unmistakable. He wanted her. She got to her feet, and grabbed his arm forcing him to the side of building, making him look at her. “Why can’t you?”

He was shocked by her actions and the look on her face. “Max… stop.”

She knew she couldn’t keep him there. But she was at least hoping that she would get an answer out of him for trying. “I saw the look in your eyes Alec. You wanted me just then. Just like the looks before. And I’ve basically admitted that I want you too. So why can’t you?”

He pushed her away, and then started to walk to her. A dangerous look in his eye, and she started to back up as he moved forward. “Do I want you? Yes. What red-blooded man wouldn’t want you Max? I’d be insane not to want you.” She swallowed taking another step back. “And now you say you want me… Fine. Also… seriously not that surprising Max. We are all X5’s. I’ve never had a problem getting women.”

His voice was even, and that was what scared her as she took another step back. She wondered for an instant if they would walk all the way around the Space Needle. But the thought was only brief as he went on.

“Sex. That’s all it would be. That’s all it would boil down to. And you know what? It’s just not worth it.”

Her mouth opened, and then closed. So that was it. He was pushing her away because if they did anything it wouldn’t mean anything. So… Should she be thankful that he was pushing her away, to shield herself from that fact? Or should she be completely heartbroken, like she was feeling now because that was all it would be to him.

She closed her eyes, let a single tear run down her cheek, and then walked past him. “I guess I’m not worth it,” she said softly. 

His head snapped to look at her fleeting form, his head playing her words. “What game are you playing?” he called out after her.

She stopped not turning around, her hands coming up to her face to wipe away the rest of the unshed tears. Her shoulders straightened. “Game? Alec… I’ve already made a big enough fool of myself tonight for telling you any of this. So let’s just drop it.”

This time she was turned around and found herself looking up into stormy hazel eyes. “Drop it? You wanted to talk about it.” He looked down into her dark eyes, seeing the redness from the tears and he shook his head, “Max… what game are you playing?”

“Game? Alec. What the hell are you talking about?”

“Do you honestly think it’s okay to play games with men’s hearts? Get whatever you need out of the relationship and then drop them when you are done with them?”

Her eyes widened, “Is that what you think I’m doing?” The accusation hurt her to the very core. 

“What else am I supposed to think?” She looked back at him like he had lost it. He sighed. “You string on your on and off again relationship with him forever and then once you are able to be together…” He stopped shaking his head and let her go.

“Then what?” she prompted needing to know what he thought.

He shook his head and laughed slightly, as he turned away. “You sleep with him and then break up with him.” Her eyes grew. “So what was it Max? Huh. Was it THAT bad?” She stood their stunned as he turned back to look at her. “So now what? Huh? You’ve lowered your standards, and figured out… that maybe I’m not such a bad guy now. Maybe see if all those rumors at Jam Pony were true or not. Big deal right. It’s just Alec.” He laughed and went and sat back down in a huff.

She stared at his back, not knowing exactly what to do or say. Part of her was pissed off that he could even believe that she would do something like what he had described. But another part of her brain said that with the information that he had, it was a logical course of thought. She walked back over to him, but didn’t sit down. “You’re wrong.”

He snorted, “I’m wrong. Yeah. Okay. I’m always wrong, what’s new.”

She sighed, “Well for one. What makes you think I slept with Logan?”

Alec shook his head. “I saw the dinner plates, the wine glasses, the blown out candles, the dark house…” he stopped realizing what he had admitted, and then she confirmed. 

She swallowed, “You were there? You went there?” He didn’t answer her, but his shoulders slumping a little bit more confirmed it. “Alec…” This time she sat down next to him, and slowly she laid her hand on his knee. His eyes quickly looked over to her. “I didn’t sleep with Logan.” 

“But I saw…”

She shook her head, “Did you actually SEE us together?” 

He shuddered slightly at the thought, “I didn’t want to venture upstairs.”

She gave a small smile back, “Neither did I.” His confused look had her go on. “That night I told him it was all too weird. That I had to get used to being able to touch him again… I then went to Cindy’s.”

His brain was spinning. “You didn’t sleep with…” She shook her head. “Then why did you break…”

She laughed slightly. Obviously they did need to talk about it. They should have talked about it a while ago. “I didn’t love him. At least not that way.”

“But…”

“And I was using him.” The questioning look, made her go on. “I was using him to push others away. I could use him as my security blanket. But then once the cure came…”

“I took away your security blanket.”

“Yeah.”

“So that’s why you were so pissed at me.” It made sense. He sighed. She was mad because of that. Not because she wanted him though. He ran his hand though his hair. “Sorry.” 

She shook her head, “No. You had no idea. Besides, I should be sorry.”

“Why?”

“Because I was using him to push you away.”

“Me?” he could barely form the word.

“Yeah, it just took me awhile to admit it, and a lot of couch therapy from Cindy.” They both smiled at that. “She convinced me to move back to Terminal City. Try and make things right.”

He nodded, another question answered. But he still had other questions. “But that doesn’t explain your change in… well…” 

“Everything?” She laughed. “Since breaking up with him… I felt… I don’t know… free.” She reached over and took one of his hands in hers and was glad when he didn’t pull away. “This sense of freedom came over me. I started seeing things in a new light. People in a new light. Seeing things as they really were and not how my brain was trying to make them.”

Alec looked down at their joined hands and then back up into her eyes. “So this change in you. This happiness… isn’t because you’re with him.”

Max sighed… “With him?” She wanted to hit him upside the head. “I thought we have established that I haven’t been with him.”

“So… you've been re-evaluating your life and everyone without this brain block of yours.” She nodded. Okay. He really had to think now. Because he wasn’t sure if he was thinking correctly. “Let me see if I have this straight.”

She nodded, and waited for him to go on. Her fingers squeezed his, and she was glad he wasn’t pulling away. Because in the very least, this talk might actually let them understand what was wrong, and keep them friends. But she was still holding on to some hope.

“You broke up with Logan. But you didn’t sleep together.” She nodded. “You moved back to Terminal City trying to get people’s opinion of you changed.” She nodded again. “You’ve been being nicer to me because… now that you are trying to see things for as they are… and not what you want to believe… you…” He wasn’t sure on that one. 

Max took a deep breath, her hand came up to the side of his face. “I’ve seen what type of man you truly are. And not what I choose to believe to protect myself.”

He swallowed at her words and the look in her eyes. “Max…”

“Yes?”

“If I crossed that line… would it mean more to you that just sex?”

She swallowed, “Let’s just say… If you crossed that line, it had better mean more to YOU than just sex.”

And before she knew what was happening, his hand was at the back of her head pulling her body to his as his mouth came down on hers.  
_______________________________

She lost her breath in that kiss. Feeling the tingle all the way to her toes, as her body was pressed up against his. Her arms went around him, trying to pull him closer, deepening the kiss, their mouths opening. Tongues came together, tasting, dueling against each other somehow better than their words ever did.

He crushed her to him, his senses lost in her. But he reluctantly pulled away. His one hand came to the side of her face, looking into her dark, heavy eyes. He had to look at her, make sure that it wasn’t just some strange dream. “Max…”

“Yes?” She asked, her breath warm and inviting to his face. 

“There is no going back.”

“Why would I want too?”

He smiled at her, and her mouth attacked his, pushing his body back onto the hard metal. Her body moved over his, as his arms came around her, pulling her down to him. His hands moving over her back and up into her hair as her body settled over him.

Her hands found their way under his coat, and he released her. Both sat up, as she straddled his waist, making him groan as her weight fully pressed down onto him. They quickly removed his coat letting it fall behind him, and hers soon followed. Her fingers traveled down his back, and then up and under his T-shirt, feeling the warm skin. Her eyes closed as his lips found her neck, kissing and nipping lightly at the skin.

She pulled back, taking the fabric in her hands and pulling it up and over his head, adding it to the pile quickly forming around them. His smile, and the twinkle in his eyes made her body shudder, as his hands moved back to her. Caressing her sides, until they too lifted her shirt from her body, her arms raising instantly trying to help. 

His mouth returned to hers, his hands wrapping around her body as he pushed to the side, rolling with her. Her back landed on leather, her legs opening as he rolled into them. Both mouths groaned into the kiss from the pressure and friction of their lower bodies together.

Alec’s mouth traveled down her neck, tasting her skin, nipping at her collarbone. Her hips shifted up at him. A soft growl hummed against her chest, as his hand moved over her hip, up her side, to squeeze her tank-covered breast. A moan echoing in his ears as she pushed up against his hand, her one hand at his back, the other in his hair.

Not able to take much more, she reached between them, and pulled her tank top over her head setting it next to her. His eyes traveled over her, about to lean back down when her hands stopped him. A confused look forming until her hands went to his pants, a small groan coming from his throat as her fingers unbuttoned his jeans, and then slowly pulled down the zipper. Her fingertips grazing against the bare flesh inside.

They didn’t wait. His hands pulled down his own pants, as hers went to her own, lifting her hips, and both kicking off their shoes. One of Alec’s went a little too far and fell off the edge. Their heads both spun as they saw it fall. He turned back to her, shrugged his shoulders, “Oh well.” Was all he got out before she was back on him. Their naked bodies falling back onto the pile of clothes.

His back hit leather and metal, the contrast invigorating as his hazel eyes gazed up at the image above him. Her hair blowing in the breeze, her bare caramel skin, her dark eyes staring at him with pure want, need, and… he swallowed recognizing the last emotion. One he held as well. Then her body was pressing against him. Her lips attacking his once again, and his brain was spinning out of control. His fingers entwining in her hair, his other at her back pressing his now very hard erection at her hip.

She groaned into his mouth, her hips moving against him, and she found herself rolled back over. Her legs instantly wrapping around him, pulling his hips to hers. Her hands traveling down his shoulders and back, feeling the muscles move as his mouth again traveled down her body, this time able to go lower. She gasped as his warm mouth found a hard nipple. His other thumb and finger finding it’s twin, pinching lightly as his teeth nibbled at the other. Her hips rose in response, her one hand moving to the back of his head, keeping him there.

Alec moaned, as her hips kept moving up at him, pressing against him. He switched sides, his tongue moving in circles, his other hand going to the abandoned breast as his other moved down her side, over her hip, and then between them. His fingers probed through soft curls. Her breath caught waiting for him to continue, then a gasp as he found her. 

His fingers dipped lower, a grown from his mouth as he caught some of her desire, bringing it back up, swirling it over the hard bundle of nerves, making her hips move against his hand. “Alec…” she sighed as his fingers moved in slow circles, working her body up higher and higher. His thumb replaced his fingers, as he rubbed it against her, his fingers traveling lower.

Max’s head fell back further, her mouth opening, her hips jerking as one entered her. Her body tightening, her fingers gripping his hair, his mouth still working over her breasts. Her legs were quivering as he moved it inside of her, the pressure building, and then he added another and her body snapped. Her muscles grasping his digits over and over, a scream leaving her mouth as her whole body tensed and irrupted.

His eyes looked up at her, watching her ride through her pleasure. His fingers and thumb still moving, slowing, letting her come back down from her high gradually. Then gently removing them, his mouth kissed its way back up her throat, and then captured her mouth. 

Her arms finding strength wrapped around him tightly, pulling him closer to her. Her tongue came alive against his, as need started to fuel back through her. Her hips pushed up against his, demanding, brushing him against her, making him groan into her mouth. “Alec… please…” 

His lips smiled against hers, until she bucked up against him again. A slight growl rang out from the back of his throat, as he moved one hand down her side, grabbing her one leg wrapped around him. He then pushed it up to her chest as his hips drove forward. 

Her head flew back as he entered her in one deep thrust. Her nails dug into his shoulders at the feeling of the complete union between them. His body stilled, his other arm going around her, his hand gripping her shoulder, his face by her ear, taking in the whole feeling of being one with her. His lips kissed her neck and shoulder and then moved to look down in her dark eyes.

Her one hand traveled up his neck. Her fingertips tracing the barcode, and then moving into his hair as she pulled his face down to hers. Her tongue licking at his bottom lip and then entering his mouth, tasting him, exploring. He groaned and his hips started to move in her. Slow deliberate thrusts. Her hips moving up at him in a counter rhythm. The speed increasing.

His body continued to move, his hips thrusting into her again and again. Her one leg pulled him down as her hips jerked up at him, making them both groan at each push. Her eyes started to flutter, as the tension, the tingling, started to spread through her body, pushing her higher and higher. He moved faster, stronger, as he felt her arms and legs start to shake around him. Her breathing came in gasps at each push.

He moved her knee over his shoulder, his hand free to hold onto her other shoulder, thus allowing him to plunge deeper into her. And with that she was gone. Her whole body seemed to convulse around him. Contracting hard. Her lungs screaming out, “Alecccc.” 

His ears barely registered the scream, as his hips moved faster, harder, and deeper into her as if his body was moving of its own accord. Then the coil in the base of his spine snapped, his hips thrusting deep, his hands grasping her shoulders hard, as he exploded within her. His whole body screaming the name of the woman in his arms.  
_______________________________

{{While ninety more cases have sprung up in Detroit, eighty-seven in Chicago, and another fatality in Lisbon. There does seem to be some good news. Doctors have classified this form of virus as a class…}}

“Oh My GOD!”

Luke turned away from the television again at the interruption of the news reporter. “What now?” He asked Mole who had took two steps back from the telescope.

“Uh…” He punched in the coordinates of the comet and then walked away shaking his head.

“What?” Luke asked again.

“Do we still have that pool going?”

“Which one?” 

“All of them.”

“ALL?” Luke asked his eyes wide. “Even the one where they…”

“Want to make some money?” Mole asked trying to shake the images of the two X5’s out of his head.  
_______________________________

Hot breath hit sweaty skin. Two hearts beat rapidly against each other’s chests. Two faces hiding, seeking warmth in each other’s necks. Hands gripping each other tightly, not wanting to ever let go. Then his lips lightly kissed her neck, her cheek and finally her swollen lips. His hand moved from his death grip on her shoulder up to the side of her face. Moving her dark hair away, as the kiss lingered. Soft and gentle. 

Max’s eyes fluttered open slowly as he pulled back, his hazel eyes gazing down at her. Her head tilted into his touch, her lips kissing the palm of his hand. She smiled up at him, finding her voice, “Well… when you decide to cross the line… you definitely go all out.”

His lips kissed her forehead. “What can I say? When I see something I want, I go after it.” She gave him a look, “As long as I know it’s available to go after.”

She sighed, “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you.”

“You should be.” Her mouth opened and he smiled down at her, “Just think how much sooner we could have been like this,” he said with a push of his hips, making her grown. But then he turned serious. “Max… It’s okay.”

She sighed, “No, no it’s not. I should have…”

He brought his finger to her lips. “It’s over. It’s in the past. Forget it. Move on. Let US move on.” 

Max smiled, “Us?”

Alec swallowed, “You do want that… right?” his eyes slightly showing his fear that he might have read her wrong before.

Her smile got larger, her fingers trailed over his cheek, “Yes I do.” She saw him about to question, “I really do.” He was leaning down for her lips again, but she pulled back, “But why do you?”

His head shot back slightly, “What? Why?”

She nodded, “After everything I’ve done…”

He shook his head again, “Max… please stop. A lot has changed. You’ve changed. I’ve changed. Everything has changed.” His face nuzzled into her neck, his voice in her ear, “Let’s just enjoy this fresh start.” 

Her hand moved back into his hair, her fingers moving through it, her other arm holding him to her, hugging his body. Her leg slid off his shoulder and moved back to wrap around him. Her cheek rubbed against his. Her body drinking in the physical contact with him. 

He felt her body wrapped around him, her simple caresses, her gentle touch and he felt… safe. He almost wanted to laugh at the thought. It was like his whole body and mind were at peace laying there in her arms, and he didn’t want to let go. The world faded away and it was just them. But then her body shuddered against him, and he pulled back to look at her, “Are you okay?”

She smiled, “More than okay…” She shuddered again as another breeze moved over her bare legs and arms. “Just now that things aren’t as… heated,” she said with a wink, “it’s a little breezy up here.” 

He laughed as he then noticed another gust of wind hit his bare ass, “Yeah… think we should get outta here? Go someplace… warmer?”

Max smiled back at him, “Sounds like a plan.”  
_______________________________

“Six. Seven. Eight.”

Luke shook his head as he tried to listen to the news report.

“Nine. Ten. Eleven.”

The door opened, and Mole looked up at the two who walked in. Quickly he stashed the green into his coat as he picked up his cigar from the tray on the table in front of him. “Oh, look who’s back.” He then noticed the change in the man’s walk and wanted to comment but then saw why, “Where’s your other shoe?”

He only received a look from Alec, but he swore he saw a blush wash over Max as they walked towards the televisions.

“How’s it going?” he asked Luke.

“Basically as planned.”

“Basically?” Max asked as she looked at the screen. The news report had the numbers scrolling across the bottom of the screen like they were some sport standings or stock ratings. It made her ill. 

Luke looked from her back to Alec, not wanting to say. 

“Spill it.” Alec told him.

He swallowed, “Well we knew it was going to happen.” He stole another look to Max, and then turned back to Alec. “There’s been five reported… fatalities so far.”

Alec briefly closed his eyes and nodded. He then turned towards Max but she was already walking towards her office. He let her go, and after she shut the door, “Is that all?”

The little transgenic shook his head no. “We weren’t able to get to three of the remote destinations, and the lab techs called off two more.”

“What? Why?”

Luke sighed. “Two of our people got detained by airport security after word of the virus got out. They got away. They weren’t exposed as transgenics, but they couldn’t get there. They were called to come back.” Alec nodded and waited for him to continue. “The other one was detained because of a blizzard, and the plane couldn’t land at its destination.”

“Why did the techs call off the other two?”

“After they researched the areas they were afraid that the groups would not be able to get over the virus themselves. Both have been really remote from other populations for so long, they really don’t have any immunity to basic illnesses. Those areas only have about a forty percent change of getting hit by one of the comet fragments so they thought…”

“They thought they would have a better chance by avoiding it, then giving it to them.” Dix nodded, and Alec sighed. “Okay, keep me posted.” He then turned to look at the office door.

He ignored the strange look he was getting from Mole and softly opened her door and walked in. She was sitting on the couch, her arms wrapped around her knees. 

Alec kicked off his shoe into the corner, walked over to her and sat down. He didn’t say a word as he pulled her towards him. She fell into his arms, the tears hitting his shirt. “People are dieing because of me,” she said into his chest.

He shook his head, “No Max. People are going to live because of you.”

Her red eyes looked up at him. “Those people died because of the virus I gave them. More are going to.”

Alec shook his head, “No Max… you didn’t give it to them. Don’t blame yourself.”

“But it’s my fault that they are…”

He shook his head, “No, it’s my fault.”

Her eyes widened, “What?”

“If you want someone to blame, blame me.”

She pulled back, “What? Why?” She didn’t understand.

“Well. I’m the one that had the virus made. I’m the one that gave it to our troops and had them spread it around the world. I helped make up the plan. Those deaths are on my head, not yours.”

She couldn’t believe what he was saying, “But if you didn’t everyone could die.”

“So? I’m sure that’s really comforting to those families.”

Her hand came to the side of his face, trying to make him realize, “You had too. You didn’t really have an option. I mean…”

Alec nodded at her, kissed the palm of her hand, “See?”

She looked confused at him, “Huh?”

He smiled at her, “If it’s not my fault… how can it be yours?”

Max stopped as she realized what he had done. He had turned her own logic against her, trapped her. She leaned back into his embrace, and hugged him hard. He rested his cheek on the top of her head. Her hand swatted his chest, “Jerk.”

He smiled into her hair, “Yeah… I know.”

Her ear rested against his chest, listening to his heartbeat, feeling his hand caress her back. “How bad do you think it will get?”

He sighed, “I don’t know Max. I really don’t know.”  
_______________________________

He still couldn’t believe it, even as his eyes roamed over the person next to him. Her dark hair was spread out on the pillow. Her tanned skin barely covered by the sheet over the two of them. Her eyes closed in peaceful slumber. 

She was in a deep sleep. That fact alone still had him in awe. She was doing something, that she barely ever did, and right next to him. She was sound asleep, at her most vulnerable, lying right next to him. His hand gently moved over her shoulder, and her body turned towards him, curling up to his side. His smile got bigger. The knowledge that his touch had her unconsciously move closer to him. That his movement didn’t wake her. 

His lips kissed her forehead softly. His hand reached for hers that had moved over his chest, and held onto it. Yep. He had decided. He could stay like this forever and be perfectly happy. He wasn’t sure how it had all changed. He wasn’t exactly sure as to why. But it didn’t really matter. All that mattered is that it did, and now he was happy. She was there in his arms, and if he had anything to say about it, she would stay there.

Her leg moved over his, and her nose nuzzled into his side. His grin grew as he felt her start to stir next to him. Then her eyelashes began to flutter against his skin, and his body squirmed from the slight tickle. A small giggle came from his side, and the tickle happened again. His body twitched once more, and he looked down at her. “Oh you think that’s funny do you?”

She giggled and her fingers lightly moved over the same spot, and his body jumped to the side. His hand came to her wrist, pulling it to his chest with the other one. Her dark eyes sparkled back at him. “Ohhh Alec’s ticklish!” She struggled against him, trying to get her hands free.

“Oh no you don’t.” He said holding on tightly to both her wrists as she tried to get leverage and pull away. He just pulled her closer. 

She laughed and rolled with him, over him. Looking down into his eyes, her hands trapped between them. An evil look coming over her face, she started to move her fingers, and they played over his chest. He jumped slightly, making her laugh more. She soon found her arms moving up, going over both their heads, and her body stretched out over him. Her face inches from his, his warm breath on her cheeks.

Max moved her hips slightly over him, and he let out a soft groan. He pulled her arms higher over him, pulling her down further. He saw her dark eyes grow wider, her pupils dilating, and his head tilted up capturing her lips with his. Her tongue snaked its way into his mouth, and hips moved up against hers. A moan came from the woman above him, and he did it again to hear more. He wasn’t disappointed.

He broke the kiss, and her eyes slowly opened, looking down at him. He swallowed at the hungry look she returned. “If I let you go,” he said as he lightly pulled on her wrists again, “Will you be good?”

The temptress above him, licked her bottom lip, and then spoke as she moved her hips, “Define good?” 

Alec groaned as he released her wrists, his arms going around her, as his mouth attacked hers once more.

Thoughts of finding all the places where he was ticklish flew out of her mind as his lips devoured her own, his hands moving over her back, down her sides, over her ass. Pressing her hips against his hard length trapped between their bodies. Her legs fell to either side of him, as she brought her knees up next to his sides. Her arms now free she sat up, her head going back, throwing her hair over her shoulders. Her hands moved over his chest, nails lightly scratching the skin.

He groaned, pressing up at her. Her body pulled away, and his hands instantly went to her hips, trying to pull her back to him. Her hands caught his, pressing them to the mattress at his sides. She slowly moved backwards over him, her head leaning down, pressing soft kisses, and lingering licks over pecks, down his tight six pack. Her lips grinning slightly as her mind, eyes, and mouth followed the little happy trail down his body. 

He closed his eyes at the sensation her lips were causing over his sensitive skin, and then her warm breath hit him. His eyes opened and looked down, and he almost lost it right then. Dark brown eyes stared back at him. Soft, full lips, slightly parted were turned into a suggestive smile. Then a pink tongue dance out and licked him from base to tip. His hips jerked in response, eyes closed, head fell back, his mouth gasped for air. Then his hands grabbed the sheets under her grasp, as her warm, wet mouth engulfed him. 

Her tongue moved over him, tasting him, as she lowered her mouth over his hard shaft. Taking him in, relaxing her throat, taking him deep. Her ears picked up this sounds as she got more and more of him. Then her head slowly pulled back, her mouth creating a light suction. Her lips smiling around him as his arms tensed in her hands. Her tongue moved around the head, and then she heard him moan her name as her mouth moved back down. 

His world was slowly spinning out of control from her torturous pleasure. Which was compounded from the knowledge that he knew she was enjoying what she was doing to him. He knew because her could smell it, smell her, smell them. It was intoxicating. But he had to get control back and soon. Very, very soon.

Her tongue moved around him again, but this time she felt his arms start to move, she grabbed his tighter, but it only aided him pulling her back up. She found her face back in front of his. His heartbeat thumping against her own chest. Their hands pressed between them until he moved his arms out to the sides, taking hers with him. He rolled his wrists, and she soon found hers trapped in his hands. Her eyes went wide, and his danced in slight amusement before she was quickly rolled to her back, her arms above her own head.

She struggled against him, and moved her hips up to him. He grinned down at her, “Now Max… you had your turn. Now I get mine.” She was about to object when his head moved, and his tongue found a hard nipple. She forgot the words when his lips sucked at it, and then moaned as he did it harder. 

But he didn’t stay there long, as his lips traveled down between her breasts. His hands pulled hers down, to rest at her sides. Her pressed them into the sheets as his tongue dipped into her belly button. He released her wrists and her hands fisted the sheets, as he kissed his way down her hip, his hands pressing her legs further apart. His warm breath washed over the apex of her thighs. 

Max moaned and her hips raised. His fingers lightly brushed over the skin of her inner thighs, making them tremble. Her skin was so soft to his touch, as his fingers played over her flesh, her body squirming against him, as he got closer to his goal. Then they gently parted her, her want and need obvious, as his fingers traced her, her body trembling in response. 

“Alec…” she whined, and then gasped as his tongue swirled around her sensitive nerves, and then moved lower darting into her. Her body jerked in response, her fists clenching the linen tighter. His hands pressed her legs even further apart, holding them open, exposing more of her to his questing tongue, his devouring mouth. Her heartbeat rang in her ears, her breathing quickening, a flush washing over her skin as the coil in her stomach wound tighter and tighter.

He drank her in like she was his oasis in the blazing desert. Her scent, her taste, her sounds driving him on. His hands moved up to her hips, bringing her closer to his face. Her legs trembled at his ears. His eyes looked up at her and found that her hands had moved to her own breasts, her fingers pinching her own nipples, and he groaned against her. 

The rumble from the sound moved through her and she screamed. Her muscles tightened around his tongue, her head flew back into the soft pillow, and the coil in her stomach snapped, unwinding like a whirlwind, seeming like her soul leaped out of her body in a blinding flash and then slowly, softly, gently it floated back down. 

Returning to her senses she found his lips kissing her neck, her shoulder. His body between her shaking legs. His arms under her. His hands gripped her shoulders. His cheek softly rubbed against her own. His hard, persistent, erection was grazing against that same bundle of nerves between her thighs, making her moan and the desire quickly washed back through her.

Her hips pushed up at him. His eyes turned to hers that were now open once again, and with that he pushed his hips forward loving the gasp from her lips as he slid all the way inside. Her legs wrapped around his lower back, trying to draw him deeper. He then started to pull out. She groaned and her arms moved under his, and grasped his shoulders trying to pull him back. 

He did return, but with a quick plunge hard into her. A grunted “Yes,” escaped her lips. He did it again, and got the same response. Again quicker. Again harder. Each time she affirmed his movement. The encouragement pushing him on. Faster. Harder. Her legs tightened around him as he moved in and out of her in quick, hard thrusts of his hips. 

“Alec…” She felt herself slipping. “Alec…” His body plunged deeper. “Aleccc…” He went faster. “Ohh.” He thrust harder. “Ohhhh.” A low growl in her ear. A catch in her breath. Sharp teeth broke the skin at her neck. “Ahhhh,” her body screamed.

Her walls clamped down hard around him, spasming, stealing the air from his lungs. He grunted out her name from his lips with one last slam of his hips deep into her shaking form in his arms as his whole world went white.   
_______________________________

{{And while sixty some more cases have been reported in…}} The news anchor stopped abruptly, putting her hand to her ear. 

This got the attention of the two transgenics watching. 

{{This just in. Can we switch to the live feed?}} Seconds later, the image turned into the pressroom at the white house. A group of reporters and others all standing around waiting. {{We just got word that in about five minutes, the president will be giving a…}}

Mole looked at all the people in the room, and then seeing one person in particular…“Oh crap!” 

“What?” Luke asked.

“Get Alec here.” He replied, and Luke hesitated not understanding. “NOW! Right NOW.”

Luke ran over to the phone, speed dialing one.

Mole shook his head, looking at the man standing to the side of the podium. “This is not good. This is soooo NOT going to be good.”  
_______________________________ 

He felt lips press feather light kisses to his shoulder and he slowly opened his eyes. Beautiful dark ones looked back at him. He leaned down and kissed her, and then rolled them both onto his back. His hands started to caress her bare back as she stretched out over him. He swore he could almost hear a purr come from her as she settled her head on his chest.

She sighed in contentment, but then a wicked smile played over her features. Her hand moved to his side, and one finger lightly grazed over his ribs, and his whole body jumped making her giggle.

“Why you little…” he barely got out before she did it again. His hands instantly tried to capture hers.

Max laughed again as she tried to dodge his questing hands and hers tried to continue to find his ticklish spots. They rolled around the bed, the sheet wrapping around them. Laughing and gigging was soon joined by a phone ringing.

“Give up?” He asked. Her body pinned under him. Another ring.

“Never!” She yelled, using the leverage of her foot on the bed to roll them both over. Another ring.

He let her have the momentum and she went too far, dragging them both over the edge and into a heap on the floor. Both groaned at the contact with the hard surface as the persistent phone rung again. They both sighed, their attention moving to his coat under the bed. He reached into the pocket and grabbed the ringing cell phone. He pressed the button and put it to his ear, “This better be…” He stopped, “We’ll be right there.”  
_______________________________

The door swung open and the two quickly ran over to the television. “What the hell is he up to?” 

Mole shook his head, “Not sure, the press conference is about to start. But it just can’t be good.”

Max shook her head, and wrapped her arms around herself, “Whenever White is involved… it won’t be good.” Her eyes narrowed at the man standing off to the side on the screen in front of her.

The reporters quickly started finding their seats as the person at the podium started to speak.

She looked up at Alec. “What do you think he’s done now.”

He swallowed, shaking his head, indicating that he had no clue.

The President was soon at the podium and began to speak. {{Ladies and Gentleman. I am pleased to inform you that through government intelligence we have learned where this virus originated from…}}

Alec briefly closed his eyes, already knowing where this was going. His brain already trying to process where to go from here as the man continued to talk.

{{The escaped transgenic population has spread his disease upon the population…}}

Max gasped slightly, her arms tightening around herself. Anger shot out of her eyes at White standing to the side with a small smirk on his face.

{{But with the help of the CDC we can fight what these monsters have brought upon us.}}

All eyes watching the television widened.

{{While the virus is generally not life threatening. There have already been twelve deaths reported, and that number is likely to grow if not stopped.}}

Her head lowered at the number, and she felt his hand lightly rub against her back.

{{Ladies and Gentleman I am proud to tell you that we have a cure.}}

“No…” Max started, “No. No, no no no no.” This couldn’t be happening.

{{The cure is being produced at a massive rate. It is already starting to be shipped out all over the world.}}

Alec snapped his fingers and Luke got his signal and ran over to his computer, while dialing Dix’s number at the same time.

{{We can stop this epidemic before it gets anymore out of control.}}

He looked over at Mole. “I want a sample of that ‘cure’ over to the lab tech’s… Yesterday!”

The reptilian nodded pulling out his cell phone as he walked to the exit.

Max watched the triumphant face of White on the screen, and her arms dropped to her sides, her hands in fists. “This can’t be happening…”

Alec shook his head, “Oh… it’s happening.” He ran his hand through his hair. He should have known. He should have known White and the breeding cult would have had something up their sleeve.

She looked over at him, and watched him go and sit on the couch. She sat on the coffee table in front of him, her hands resting on his knees. He leaned his forehead against hers. “You don’t think it’s possible that this ‘cure’ would also work on the virus from the comet do you?” she asked.

His eyes looked into her hers. The answer to her question stared back at her. She swallowed and spoke, “Didn’t think so.”

Alec sighed, his brain trying out multiple scenarios in his head. The ending of each one not something he liked.

“What are we going to do?”

He took a deep breath. “We are going to wait and see what our lab guys say.” 

She nodded, “But we already know what they are going to say. So then what?”

He closed his eyes, “We stop it from going out.”

Max sat up, “If we do that… they will KNOW we did.”

He nodded in confirmation.

“The government will come in here after us… or worse… just bomb us off the map.”

He closed his eyes nodding again.

“We’ll be making a war between humans and transgenics because they won’t realize that we are actually trying to save them from the familiars”

Hazel eyes opened again as his head continued to agree with her.

“We can’t let that happen!”

He reached out, took her hands from his knees, and held onto them. “If we don’t… the rest of the world will die.”  
_______________________________

“Well?”

Dix looked like he didn’t want to say anything.

“Come on, give us the bad news.” Alec said as his arms went out indicating the others sitting around his office.

“Well it’s a cure to the virus we put out.”

“So it’s not something worse to kill everyone?” Max asked leaning on the edge of his desk.

“No.” 

Alec nodded, “I doubt we could hope that it would actually cure the other virus as well.”

“No, it won’t.” Dix sighed, “It will basically stop people from getting sick from our virus. Thus not producing the antibodies, and thus…”

She closed her eyes and finished it for him, “Thus leaving everyone susceptible to the virus that will kill them.”

The little transgenic nodded.

Alec rubbed his forehead trying to think for a second. “Is there any way that we can make the cure not work?” If they could, then they might be able to make it look like the government had just messed up.

Max’s head shot up at the idea, a slight shred of hope.

“Well… technically…. Yes.”

“Technically?” she questioned.

Dix swallowed, “It wouldn’t work because it would be lethal.”

Her head dropped. That certainly wouldn’t work.

Alec closed his eyes and then asked the question he dreaded, “But fire or any type of explosion would destroy it, right?”

The little man nodded, “It’s actually very easy to destroy, just not change.”

Alec then looked over to Luke, “Do you have the locations of all the shipments, warehouses, and facilities?”

“Yeah.”

Mole piped in, “We have troops ready at all locations, just waiting orders.”

“How long do we have before they start giving it out?”

Luke looked around nervously, “They already are in some locations.”

“How many?” Max asked not wanting to hear the number of the people who had already sealed their own fates.

Luke swallowed, “Estimates so far are a few thousand have already received the ‘cure’.”

Her shaking hand went to her mouth, she felt ill at the thought.

He knew what he had to do. He knew what he had to order. He just wished he had more time to arrange everything else that needed to be done too. He looked at Mole. “Tell our boys to take it out. Take it all out. I don’t care how.”

Max’s eyes widened and she turned to look at him, “Alec…”

He shook his head and his eyes looked back into hers, “We don’t have the time to make this look any different. It needs to be done and done now.” He looked back over to Mole, “Now.”

The transgenic nodded and hurried out of the office. Alec waved to the other two as well, and they left to go help Mole get the word out. Once the door was shut, she was on her feet, her hands leaning on the desk in front of her. “Less than an hour after we attack those buildings the Military is going to be coming in here or worse.”

“I know,” he responded not looking at her.

“Every person in the world is going to think that we are trying to get them sick.”

He stood up, “WE ARE!”

“Yes, but to save them!”

He shook his head moving to the main part of the room, “They don’t know that.”

“Well maybe they should!”

Alec laughed, “Oh and exactly how should we do that in an hour?”

She shook her head, trying to think of something. Anything. “A television broadcast. We’ll tell them what’s going to happen.”

He shook his head, laughing again, “You really think they will believe us?”

“It can’t hurt to try!”

“Yes it can.”

“How?”

“We do a broadcast… It will just prove that we are responsible, no room for questioning. And then they will be expecting us.”

“But if we do it at the same time…”

He shook his head, “It will give us less time.”

“How could it give us less time to destroy…”

He cut her off, “Not to destroy the ‘cure’.”

“Then less time for what?”

“Less time to leave.”

Her eyes widened. “What?”

“Max as I see it, we have less than two hours to get everyone out of Terminal City.” 

Her eyes widened even more as she watched him walk out of the office calling for Dix to find Joshua.

She couldn’t believe what her ears had heard, “Leave?” He couldn’t be serious. She shook her head and marched out of his office and came up beside him, “You can’t be serious.”

He turned around to her, “I’m very serious.” He then looked at Luke, “Get each of the section leaders to gather their groups. Tell them plan Beta Charlie is going down in a half hour.”

Luke nodded and started dialing, just as Joshua walked into the room.

Max shook her head, and grabbed his arm, “This is our home.”

Alec sighed, “And this home of ours is either going to get invaded or bombed in less than a few hours.”

“Medium Fella…” He looked around at the commotion that was happening in Headquarters slightly confused. “What’s going on? What did you need me for?”

He tried to smile up at the guy, and then put his hand on his shoulder, “Hey buddy, remember that plan we talked about awhile ago? Beta Charlie?”

Joshua nodded remembering that meeting. His eyes grew, as he saw everyone running around doing tasks. “Is the plan happening?”

Alec nodded, “Yeah Josh… afraid so. I need you to round up your group and head to B base.” The tall guy nodded enthusiastically, “I’m counting on you Big Guy.”

Joshua patted him hard on the back, “Won’t let you down.” He then hugged Max, “I’ll see ya later Little Fella.” 

She shook her head as she watched her friend hurry out the door, “We can’t do this.”

He spun back to her, “Then what are we supposed to do? Huh Max? Do you have a better plan?” She opened her mouth, but nothing came out. “Because trying to talk to the world that is going to hate us more in a matter of minutes than they already do is not an option that I’m willing to bet on.”

“We’re running.”

“We’re falling back to a safer location to regroup.” He heard the door open and saw Mole walk in. The man gave him a nod indicating the word had been sent. It was only a matter of minutes now. Alec’s head tilted to his office, Mole nodded and walked inside.

She wanted to scream. He was barely even listening to her. They couldn’t run away. They just couldn’t. They had to make the world see that… that they were trying to help them. Or they would never be at peace. She had to get him to stop this craziness. “Alec… please… there has to be some other way…”

He turned back to her, his hands settling on her shoulders. “Max…” he let out a breath, “If you can come up with something better… something were we all don’t end up dead… I’ll be glad to change the plans. But I just can’t take a bet that the world will listen to us.” He leaned in, kissed her forehead. “I’ll be back.” And with that he walked into his office to talk to Mole and shut the door behind him.

She just stood their looking at the closed door while the rest of the room was a bustle of activity. To anyone else it would look like everyone was running around with their heads cut off. But in fact it was all planned out. Planned out and being executed with precision down to the smallest detail. 

The worst thing was… she knew all the details. She knew what they were. She knew everyone’s roll in what was to come. What had been planned. What she had never thought to question or change because she never dreamed it would actually happen. But now that it was happening… She swallowed and closed her eyes. She just had to change his mind, she just had to. *Because there is no way in hell I’m going to live without him now,* she thought as she walked back to his door and opened it.  
_______________________________

Mole looked at the man sitting on the edge of his own desk. He looked like the weight of the world was resting on his shoulders. And he actually felt sorry for him, because in truth, it was. He shook his head, “You serious about this?”

Alec nodded.

“I can’t say that I won’t get some pleasure from…”

He got an evil look.

Mole coughed, “Right. But why me?”

“Because I know you’ll do it. You’ll follow orders, get it done, no matter what.”

He couldn’t argue with the man, and was about to say as much when the door opened and the woman barged her way in. “The plan HAS to change.”

Alec lowered his head, he knew this was going to be problem, he just looked at Mole and the man walked out of the room, shutting the door behind him.

“Max…” he started as he stood up.

She didn’t let him finish. “I remember the plan. I remember all of it. There is no way in hell…”

He waved his hands, “You had no complaints when we all went over it before.”

Her eyes widened as she walked over to him. “I never dreamed we would actually use it!”

“Max… you never make plans if you don’t intend to use them.”

“But… That was before!”

“Before what?” he asked confused.

Her lower lip quivered, her hands rested on his chest, “Before…”

He looked down into her dark, worried eyes. His hands held onto her wrists at his chest, and he leaned his forehead against hers. He took a deep breath, “It has to be done this way.”

“I won’t go.”

He closed his eyes, “You have too.”

She shook her head against his, “I won’t leave you here.”

He swallowed. “Max… you have to go to base A.” His hands ran up and down her arms, “I need you there.”

“Mole is going, he can…”

He shook his head, “I need someone there I can trust…”

Her eyes widen, “You trust Mole with your life…”

Alec nodded, “Yes I do. I trust Mole with my life. I trust him with the most important thing in my life.”

“Then he can run base A…”

He shook his head again, “Max I need someone there that I can trust to do the right thing. I need someone there that care’s about the rest of the world and not just the transgenics. Someone who’s not just a soldier.” Her eyes closed, “I need you there.”

“Then come with us.” Her dark eyes looked up into his, begging him.

“You know I can’t.”

“Why?” she demanded.

“Someone has to stay here. Make sure everything gets done.”

“Have Mole…”

He shook his head, his arms wrapping around her, hugging her tightly. “The same reason I want you at the other base. The same reason I have Joshua at the backup base. Is the same reason I need to be here.”

“But…” 

He cut her off with a deep kiss, a hand to the side of her face, and then pulled away as he walked to the door, “I’m sorry that I have to do this Max…”

She followed him out into the other room, and saw him nod at Mole. “But why?” she asked believing he was talking about something completely different.

He turned around, a pained look on his face, “Because I love you.”

Her eyes widened from his words and also the sharp pain in her neck. Her head spun around to find Mole behind her with a syringe in his hand. The man caught her before she fell to the floor and hoisted her up and over his shoulder. He walked over to Alec, and patted him on the back with his free hand. “I’ve got her. You just better keep your ass safe cause I don’t want to deal with her for too long by myself.”

Alec nodded and then watched the other man carry her out of headquarters, his eyes closing and head lowering. “I’ll try.”  
_______________________________

Her head was swimming, but slowly the water seemed to part as her ears started to pick up a voice.

{{All four facilities have been wiped out. The workers just barely managing to escape before fires and explosions over came each of the buildings.}}

Her mind registered that the talking was coming from a radio. Then her body felt a small bump, and she slid sideways a little. She was moving. She was in a vehicle. Her eyes opened immediately. 

She was in the back of a van, laying on one of the pull out benches. Her eyes moved up to the front, and once seeing him she screamed, “Mole!” As she tried to lunge out of her seat but didn’t get very far. Her eyes turned to the large, metal band around her wrist, which led to thick chains that were securely attached to the side of the van.

Mole removed the cigar from his mouth with one hand, as he kept the wheel in the other. “The beast is awake.”

Max let out a slight growl. “Pull over NOW!”

He shook his head. “Nope.”

She struggled with the chains, “Let me out of this!”

“No can do sweetheart.” He replied keeping his eyes on the road.

“Why?” she asked through gritted teeth and anger.

“I have my orders.”

Her anger grew. Her fists clenched turning her knuckles white. “How dare he…” She struggled harder, pulling at the restraint as much as she could. But it was of little use. “That… JERK!” She screamed pulling again.

“That jerk is trying to keep you safe.”

Her eyes glared at the man driving, as she crossed her arms over her. “No, he’s trying to get himself killed.” She said her head looking down.

“No. He has a better shot of making it out without you there.”

Dark eyes snapped back up, “Excuse me!”

Mole sighed, “If he’s there by himself he can think about himself. If you were there…” He trailed off, knowing he didn’t have to continue because he could see she already knew through the rear view mirror.

She swallowed, and pulled against the chain again, just out of protest. If he got out and to the new base she was going to kill him herself! *Not If. When,* she tried to tell herself, but it wasn’t working. The radio got her attention again.

{{All shipments of the cure have been destroyed. The medical facilities have been raided.}}

“So it worked…”

Mole nodded, “It worked. They won’t be able to make any of the ‘cure’ for at least a few weeks, and by then it won’t matter.”

She closed her eyes. At least that was good news. Depending on how you looked at it. But now… now… She didn’t even have to think of it because the reporter was already saying it.

{{The government is placing blame on the escaped transgenics. They have called for quick and decisive action against this threat.}}

Max shook her head. Her worst fears seemed to be coming true.

{{They are asking for everyone to report anyone they suspect to be a transgenic. Report any strange behavior. This to ensure that any of them that are outside the walls of Terminal City will be found.}}

“Well, they are going to have a lot more of us to look for on the outside now than they bargained for,” Mole commented as he continued to drive,

{{As for the population of transgenics that have gathered in their own makeshift city? The military is being tight lipped. But sources have told us that there is a bustle of activity just outside the gates.}}

Her hand ran over her forehead, “Get out of there Alec… Please… just get out of there in one piece.”   
_______________________________

“Is everyone out?”

Dix nodded, “Everyone but the four of us.”

Alec nodded, “Okay gentlemen. It’s been a pleasure.”

Luke looked up at him, “You aren’t coming with us?”

He shook his head, “Someone has to stay and make sure it all goes off without a hitch.”

“Alec. Everything is set, we can take the transmitters with us…”

He shook his head at Dix and then turned to Jed. “Okay. Get them out of here.” The other X5 nodded, and pulled the backpack up onto his shoulder. “You guys have five minutes to get out of here.”

They nodded, patted him on the back and hurried to the exit. “We’ll see ya at base Alec.” Luke said.

Dix and Luke walked out, but Alec stopped the X5 before he left, “Jed.”

The dark haired man turned around. “No matter what happens. There will be no use to look for me.” The man’s eyes widened slightly. “I’ll either show up at the base… or … well… there will be no point in looking.” 

Jed got the point, “Understood.” Was all he said, but gave a small salute before he headed out the door.

Alec closed his eyes briefly and then headed over to the laptop. The only computer still functioning. He typed in a few commands and flipped over to the camera feeds. His eyes scanned the military outposts around the city. His mind calculated their positions. Figuring out what they were planning to do. 

He almost wanted to laugh at how textbook they were being. Did they really not understand that they were dealing with a group of soldiers that had learned all of their standard procedures? Not to mention all the ones that even most of their highly trained personal didn’t know? 

He pulled up the satellite feeds. He needed to find out where the missiles were going to come from. Because that is exactly what was planned. There wasn’t going to be an invasion. At least not at first. 

Two areas were immediately identified, but he just knew there had to be more. He zoomed in, trying to figure out where they were going to try and hit. He shook his head. Just as he feared. Headquarters was one of them. The medical building another. *Sick bastards,* he thought about also knew that thinking purely militarily he would have done it too. In a war you don’t want the wounded to get better so they can fight again. 

But he knew what that could also mean. They might have surveillance on the city. They might know which buildings were which. Or it could be extreme luck. But if they had good surveillance, it also meant they might know about everyone leaving. He shook his head to himself on that thought. No, they didn’t know or they wouldn’t be bothering to do this. 

His eyes scanned the feeds again, and then found the location of another missile site. He just wished he could find the fourth one. He just knew there was at least one more. The third one was aimed at an apartment building. Nothing vital, but it was one of the largest residential buildings in the city. He relaxed somewhat, as the realization of their targets became clearer. They were using what they knew about the buildings in Terminal City before their occupation of it as guide. 

It wasn’t just that either. As he calculated the destruction of those buildings, he found those hits would basically do a pretty damn good job of trapping everyone inside. Not to mention make an invasion inside easier. He shook his head. *Yep… bomb, them and then invade to ‘help’ the survivors and wounded.* “But there won’t be any survivors for you to ‘save’.”

His smile got wider as he looked at all the detonators laid out on the table. He grabbed an empty side pack and started to load them into it. He then closed the laptop and put it inside as well. He grabbed his other backpack, and pulled it onto his shoulders. He slid the strap of the other pack over his head and swung it to his side. It was time to set up shop in someplace that wasn’t a target and soon.   
_______________________________

He heard the metal clank again, “It’s no use.” All he got in response was a small growl, and he shook his head. “You’re just going to hurt yourself.”

She sighed, “Like you care.”

“True. I don’t. But he won’t like it.”

“Like he cares!” she yelled out of anger.

The man just shook his head. “I have no idea why he does. But he does.”

She closed her eyes giving in, for the moment. Trying to relax, but it did no good. She was tense. She was worried. And there was nothing she could do. She was trapped. 

Max sighed, “You can take these off. I won’t… go back.”

Mole shook his head, “I don’t trust you.” She pulled at the chains again in anger. “See?”

Her evil look stared back at him in the mirror and then turned to the window, as she watched the trees go by. “How much longer?”

“This isn’t just a short trip sweetheart. But we should be there tomorrow morning.”

“Stop calling me SWEETHEART!” She yelled back at him. His grin only making her temper grow. 

She took a few deep breaths and tried to calm down, when a thought crossed her mind. She smiled, “Well at some point we are going to have to stop for gas. And since YOU can’t get out to pump it…”

Mole shook his head and smiled, “Oh don’t even try that one SweetHeart. It’s been planned out already. We’ve got some tanks in the back.”

He received another evil look. Then she tried again. “Well… I don’t know about you. But sometime between then and now, I’m going to HAVE to go to the bathroom.”

He then laughed, “Just tell me when. I’ll pull over. That chain will reach out the door.” Her eyes widened and he laughed again. With that her feet went to the wall of the van as she threw her whole body into it. But it was no use and only made the man driving laugh more at her futile attempt. “Boy am I glad I listened to him and didn’t just use handcuffs.”

“WHAT?” she screamed. This was HIS idea? Her jaw tensed, and her teeth gritted. Her fists clenched, as she felt steam rising. The horrible thing was… he had been right. He knew her too well. But why did he have to do this? Why did have to force her away? WHY? And the memory hit her, and she closed her eyes. ‘Because I love you.’

He loved her. She had heard the words. But she had also saw it in his eyes. Those hazel pools that right then were filled with so much pain. She swallowed. She wanted to scream because she was so angry with him for taking the choice to be with him there away from her. But she also wanted to scream at herself because she understood why he did it. Because she would have done the same thing if she had the choice.

But what really… really pissed her off, was that he got to tell her. He told her he loved her. *But I didn’t get to tell him,* she thought and her eyes closed and head sagged again. And the worst part….

{{This just in…}} The reporter came over the radio. {{A missile has just been launched on Terminal City!”}} Max’s closed eyes tightened at the news, a small tear slipped down her cheek. {{Wait… three more now. Four in total.}}

She didn’t know if she would ever be able to tell him.  
_______________________________

He watched the missile launch on his wireless laptop sitting on an old garbage bin in a back ally. He then flicked the switches to two of the detonators. His eyes then caught the streaks in the sky on the satellite feed of the other three. His ears picked them up as well. His mind quickly did the computations on the forth missile. In nanoseconds he knew where it was coming from, where it was going to hit. “Oh shit!” He yelled as he grabbed the laptop and detonators and then quickly ran like mad away from the building. His hand clicking off each of the detonators as his body blurred out of the ally.  
_______________________________

She had heard the news reporter. She had felt her heart break in her chest. She had even felt the slight swerve of the van on the road when the news had come in. Her eyes briefly looked up into the mirror and caught the ones of the driver. Neither said anything. They then looked away as they both continued to listen to the radio.

{{Four buildings have been… No wait… Buildings are toppling all through the city.}}

Her eyes closed, and her arms wrapped back around herself. Part of her realizing that if the plan was working, it was a good sign.

{{Oh my…}} The reporter stopped caught in awe. {{The city is falling. It’s completely crumbling. The destruction…}}

Max swallowed, and took a shuttering breath. Her home, Terminal City, was being completely destroyed.

{{The explosions have stopped. We are unsure what if anything is left standing. The dust and debris in the air is too great…}}

Even though it was breaking her heart, she was hoping there was nothing left. That was the plan. There was to be nothing, not one building left standing. She had hated it. Hated the thought of it. But once he had explained it to her…

She tightened her arms around herself even more at the memory. At the time, when the plan had been made up, she hated it, but had agreed. She swallowed, remembering at the time, she had only complained about the destruction of the city, but not how it was going to be done, or more precisely by who was going to stay behind and do it. Her hands tightened on her arms. Things were so different then. Then she was still in denial.

If she hadn’t been. If she would have been thinking clearly then. The plans might have been different. But she sighed. *No, they would have been the same.* Her hand lightly pulled against the chain again and she shook her head. He was just as stubborn as she was. That brought a small smile to her face. One of the reasons they were so perfect for each other.

{{Tom, can you see anything?}}

{{Not yet,}} came a coughing reply. {{The dust is so thick. I can barely see my own hand in front of my face.}}

Her thoughts snapped back to the radio. 

{{Tom, do you know exactly how many missiles were fired onto the city?}}

{{No Diane. We have tried to talk to the military, but they aren’t saying anything.}}

{{Is there ANY indication as to why they felt the need to bring down the whole city?}}

Max smiled a little.

{{As I said, they aren’t telling reporters anything.}}

{{But as far as reports have shown. There were children in Terminal City, correct?}}

{{Yes. I believe from our earlier data, there were young transgenics ranging from six to eighteen. Not to mention all the older transgenics.}}

Max’s smile got bigger. It was working. The plan was actually working.

{{Are there any survivors emerging from the city?}} the female reporter asked, a small amount of concern in her voice.

The male reporter sighed, {{Diane, with this much damage, I don’t think anyone could survive.}}

Her breath caught in her throat, and the smile instantly disappeared. *Someone had better.*  
_______________________________

A scraped hand reached through the pile of rubble, feeling, searching. Once finding a steel pipe, it grabbed it like a lifeline and started to pull. The cement started to fall away as a head poked through and then upper body. A loud gasp of air could be heard, followed by a fit of coughing as the dust entered his lungs. He pulled harder, finally freeing himself. 

His hand went to the back of his head, and he winced as he touched it. The warm goo coated his fingers, and he blinked twice. “No wonder I’m seeing stars,” he said through coughs as he tried to get his eyes to focus. But even when they finally did it was of little use because the air was still full of cement. He went to grab the bag and laptop with his other hand, but nothing happened.

Alec looked over to his left shoulder, his head dropped and he groaned at seeing the weird angle it was resting at. “Perfect.” He reached over with his right hand, felt the dislocated bone and socket. “Well, at least I wasn’t shot.” He thought with ironic humor, as his hand gripped his arm, and with a loud pop and grunt of pain his shoulder was basically functional again.

Once he could use both hands, he reached for the laptop once more. Thanking whatever it was out there that it still worked. The satellite feed showed nothing but a cloud of dust. He looked at the detonators. *Shit,* he thought. He had been thrown into the wall before he had set them all off. 

He turned back to the computer and quickly brought up the news feeds. Cameras were all over, showing the same cloud of gray. *Come on, come on…* he thought, *Show the troops. Where the hell are they?* He needed to know. He had to know before he flipped the remaining switches. 

With that he picked up the packs, and headed through the thick dust, almost blinded by it, to his way out. He just hoped that it was still passable, as he continued to try and figure out where the military was, his fingers itching at the last few detonator switches.   
_______________________________

She sat hunched over on her seat, her face in her hands. Waiting. She HATED to wait. Her foot tapped against the metal of the floor of the van.

His jaw clenched on his cigar at each tap. “Drilling a hole in the floor with your foot is NOT going to get you out of here.”

Her head titled up, “Oh I’m SORRY. Am I being a pain?”

“Royal pain, Princess.”

“Well then why don’t you come back here and make me stop?” She said tapping her boot faster and louder.

Mole shook his head, “Yeah. Right. I’m NOT that stupid.” He then reached over to the passenger seat, and showed her a tranquilizer gun. “But I could just make it easier on all of us.”

Her eyes widened, “You wouldn’t dare!”

He laughed, and looked at her through the mirror, “Sweetheart you forget that I have once already.”

“Alec would NOT like it if you did.”

He laughed again, “He gave me the gun.” 

Max’s eyes bugged out again, and then relaxed as she shook her head. “No. He gave it to you if I became… unreasonable. NOT to use if I just annoyed you!”

She had him there. “Well… what he doesn’t know…”

“He’d kill you!”

“Kill… no.” He knew Alec wouldn’t kill him for it. But he sure didn’t want to find out what he would do. Besides it was the non-physical consequences that kept him from actually doing it. He took out his cigar and pointed it at the mirror and thus her. “You’re just lucky he trusts me so much.”

She was going to respond but the reporter came back on the air, {{Tom, I hear our tech guys have gotten to you. With the radar and special vision goggles… can you tell us what you see?}}

{{It’s still hard to make things out Diane. But… it seems as if almost all the buildings have been destroyed.}} There was a pause and some noise, {{Wait. Three… no five buildings seem to be left standing.}}

Max’s heart plummeted. “No…” came quietly from her mouth as he hands went to her face. “He didn’t set them all off.” She looked up and caught his eyes. Neither said anything as they continued to listen.

{{Is the military going in to see if there are any survivors in those buildings?}}

{{No Diane. The military have not moved from their locations. But there is a bustle of activity behind the lines formed around the city. It seems like they might be waiting to see if it’s safe to…}} A loud explosion rippled through the radio.

The van swerved slightly. Max’s head shot up. {{Tom what was that? Tom? Tom? Tom are you there?}} But all that came back was static.  
_______________________________

He kept listening to the news feeds. His eyes glancing at the camera feeds. Waiting for anything that would tell him what he needed to know. He HATED waiting. 

Then he heard it, the clinking of metal. He looked down, seeing the grate. He sat his bags and equipment down to the side, and got down to his knees. His hands reached out and grabbed the steel bars. He pulled hard, gritting his teeth from the pain in his shoulder. Finally it pulled free. He threw it to the side, and then leaned inside.

“Why?” he asked no one in particular. “Why do I always… ALWAYS have to go down here?” He put the stuff back in the bags and lowered them inside, and then he followed. The stench even penetrated his dust filled nostrils. The slime on the ladder making the cuts on his hands sting. He hauled the bags over his shoulder and started to walk through the dark, underground tunnel. 

Tubing, supports, and cement hung at weird angles, or had fallen completely causing the dark river of whatever to move all through the tunnel. He looked back at the computer, and noticed that the connection was going in and out. 

He sighed. He had to get back to an opening so he could find out what was happening. He looked right, towards the sewer network for the rest of Seattle. He looked left, towards the closest exit back into Terminal City. 

He sighed and headed left. The closer he got to the exit, the more the news feeds came in. 

{{It’s still hard to make things out Diane. But…}} The computer stopped the feed and he moved faster to the opening. {{…the buildings have been destroyed.}} 

“Damn it!” He cussed, “Which ones?”

{{Wait. Three… no five buildings seem to be left standing.}}

Alec let out the breath he didn’t realize he was holding. He fished the detonators out of the bag.

“Now just let me know one more thing,” he said and sat down behind a large pile of pipe that had fallen.

{{Is the military going in to see if there are any survivors in those buildings?}}

A slight grin came over his face, “They won’t find any. They won’t find anything left.”

{{No Diane. The military have not moved from their locations.}} 

That was all he needed to know as his fingers flicked off the last remaining detonators.

{{But there is a bustle of activity behind the lines formed around the city. It seems like they might be waiting to see if it’s safe to…}}

The explosion rang through the computer and the tunnel as everything went black once more.  
_______________________________

{{The fires are still raging through the demolished city.}}

Images of the rubble entered her eyes from the television screen as she sat on the couch. Her body, her mind slightly numb.

{{Firefighters with the help of the military are still trying to put out the flames caused from the last explosion.}}

Images from the helicopters above showed the destruction, the bright orange flames, and the smoke.

{{The military has confirmed, complete and total destruction. Also confirming that no survivors have been found.}}

Her head dropped from the TV, and her arms hugged herself tighter.

{{While no bodies have been found… Experts have noted that the heat from the blast of the city’s power plant would cause enough…}}

Max tried to block out the reporter’s words. She knew that the plan worked. Everyone believed that the transgenics in the city had been killed. All of them. And that the government was at fault. 

{{Protestors have circled the city and military. The numbers growing each day since the attack on the transgenic population.}}

Images of people holding up signs and posters calling the government every name under the sun. People chanting. People crying. 

{{Police are trying to control the mobs of protestors. Trying to push them away from Terminal City. The debris still in the air, and fires still burning even on this Day Three after the attack.}}

Her eyes closed tighter, a tear trickling down her face.

{{When more information becomes available we will inform you. As for the virus circulating. Hospitals have stopped reporting new cases, since most are turning people away unless symptoms are serious. While the death toll has climbed into the hundreds… experts are quick to say with the rapid and total world wide spread of this virus, the actual fatality numbers are quite low.}}

Another tear slipped down her face. But not from the loss of life. Not from the numbers that were being displayed. But because he wasn’t there to hear that it had worked. Everything had worked, and it was going to work. 

She opened her eyes and looked around her. Everyone was moving around the new base. Getting everything up and running. But there was this… eerie quiet. This… stillness to the room. Like something was missing. Her eyes closed again. She knew exactly what that something was, or actually that someone.

She couldn’t take it anymore and stood up. She walked over to the corner and grabbed a pack.

Mole watched her move from the televisions to the other side of the room. He saw her start to load things into the sack, and he took a deep breath. He knew it was going to happen sooner or later. He looked over and caught Luke’s and Jed’s gaze and then nodded over at her.

They nodded as well and the three walked over to her. “Max?” Luke asked softly from behind her.

“Yeah?” was all she said as she continued to pack.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m going to find him.”

He reached up and put a gentle hand on her shoulder, “Max…”

She shook off his hand and turned around, jumping a little at seeing the three standing around her. “Don’t start.”

“You’re not going to find him. You’ll only get yourself hurt or captured.” Mole told her.

She shook her head not wanting to listen. She had to go look. She had to do something. She had to know.

“Max…”

“Jed, don’t…”

But he continued with a sigh and heavy heart, “He told me…”

She turned back around quickly, grabbing his shirt, “He told you what?”

His hand grabbed her wrist, and he swallowed. “He told me that if he wasn’t here in two days…” He looked down, he couldn’t tell her if he looked into her eyes. “He said there would be no point to looking for him.”

“No,” she said. She didn’t want to hear it. “No.”

Mole watched the tears slipping down her face, and her shoulders start to shake. He watched her body try to accept what her mind already knew, and what her heart was dreading. Her whole body started to collapse with the knowledge and he caught her before she fell to the floor. Her face wept into his smoke filled coat, not caring that the transgenic’s arms were trying to comfort her, not caring that the others were trying to tell her she would be okay, not caring about anything at all.  
_______________________________

She tried to push it away. That annoyance that was entering her brain. She didn’t want to acknowledge it. She didn’t want to acknowledge anything. She just wanted to stay where she was and shut out the rest of the world. 

Why? Because she didn’t care. She didn’t have to care. Her part was done. Her part was over. She wasn’t needed by them out there. She wasn’t needed by anyone. The world was going on right outside her door, and it didn’t even matter. 

She had left Seattle. She had left her friends. She had lost her home. She had lost him. The knife twisted in her chest again but no more tears could fall. The river had dried out into her pillow long ago. 

She had collapsed into an absolute mess in the new bases headquarters, and they had brought her into her room. And that is where she stayed. Where they had left her to be alone. And alone she was. Totally alone and now… numb. She had cried for so long that she just didn’t feel anymore. And she didn’t want to. She didn’t want to feel anything.

But that annoyance was still there. That annoyance was getting louder. That annoyance was calling her name. “Max… MAX? Are you awake? Are you in there?”

Finally her brain recognized the voice, “Luke?” she barely managed to choke out. Her throat dry and cracking.

“Max? MAX? Open the door.”

She slowly got to her feet and walked on unsteady legs to the door. She turned the knob, opening it, “Luke… what…”

He grabbed her arm quickly pulling her out of the room. “Hurry…” He yelled dragging the dazed Max behind him.

“Where? What?” she questioned her head swimming still in a fog.

“They brought him in.”

Her whole body stopped and Luke almost stumbled as he was jerked to a stop. He quickly turned to her as she spoke, “Him?”

He nodded quickly, “He’s in the medical…”

But he didn’t get to finish his sentence because she was already gone, just a blurred image running to the new medical building.  
_______________________________

The doors parted and two pair of eyes looked up and quickly intercepted her as she abruptly stopped inside. Her eyes going wide, her breath catching in a gasp at what she saw on the bed.

“Max…”

Her eyes tried to move to the sound and then once they did her brain tried to comprehend what she was seeing, “Cindy?”

Her friend’s arms wrapped around her, and then she felt another pair. Her eyes looked up, and she shook her head in disbelief, “Sketchy?”

He just nodded.

Her eyes didn’t stay on them long, and traveled back to the bed and the person laying on it. “He…”

Cindy held her tighter. “Hours after the explosion…” Max tried to move closer, but her two friends kept her back. “I got a phone call. It was Alec…”

Max turned to her again, her dark eyes pleading for her to tell her anything.

OC went on, “All he said was the name of an intersection and the line went dead.” She stopped and took a breath. “I could barely tell it was him. I called Sketchy and we got there as quick as we could.”

She tried to get closer and they still held her back. She was in too much shock to fight them.

“He was unconscious. His phone was cleared of all numbers. He didn’t have anything on him telling where everyone was. We heard the news.” She couldn’t go on because she was crying.

Sketchy continued for her. “We took him back to OC’s. We tried to clean him up as best we could. Tried to get him to wake up.” He swallowed at remembering how he looked when they found him. His body covered in a grimy mess of dust, dirt and… blood. 

Max finally was able to pry herself from their grip, and on unsteady feet inched herself to the bed. The dried out river of tears refreshed as they traveled down her face looking at him. Her mind not wanting to comprehend what he must have looked like before they cleaned him up. 

Her hand reached out to him, but stopped short of touching him. She was too afraid to. Afraid she might hurt him. She couldn’t find a spot on him that wasn’t scraped, cut, or bruised. She swallowed, and her eyes quickly went over to the monitor, the slow beep the only thing that didn’t have her falling to the floor. He was alive. Barely.

“How?” she finally managed to get out.

Cindy wasn’t sure what she was asking. “We aren’t sure how he got out of Terminal City. Somehow… he crawled out or something. But I have no idea how he managed too.”

Max shook her head, “How did you… find…” she still couldn’t speak coherently.

Sketchy replied, “He’s come in and out of it. Yesterday he was able to get out a set of coordinates.”

“Once we figured out what he meant, we were on our way here,” Cindy said as she moved behind Max, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. “Sugar… you have no idea how happy we are to see you.”

She looked up quickly at her two friends, realizing that with everything that had happened. How fast it had happened. She hadn’t had time to tell them anything. “I’m… sorry… there wasn’t time to…”

Cindy hugged her, “We know Boo. We know.”

Max heard the door open behind her and turned to see a group of people walk in. Mole, Dix, and Luke moved to the end of the bed, while the X5 moved over to the IV that was hanging by the bed. She recognized him as one of the ones from the medical unit back in Terminal City.

“How is he?” she demanded.

“He’s got multiple broken bones, cuts, scrapes, bruises, some internal bleeding, and took a lot of head trauma.” 

Her arms wrapped around herself, and Cindy hugged her closer. “Can you fix...”

He stopped her, “We’ve done everything we can…”

Her eyes popped open, “What do you mean?” 

“As I was saying. We’ve done everything that we can do. The rest… is up to him.”

“Up to him?”

The man nodded, “His body has to heal it’s self. He’s going to have to want it too.”

“You mean…”

“He means Boo… that Alec’s gonna need a good reason to stick around.”

She looked at her friends for help, and Cindy put a hand on the side of her face, making her look at her. “Boo… he obviously does, otherwise he wouldn’t have crawled out from under all that shit. He would have just given up then.”

“But… what can I do? “

Mole sighed, and gestured for the others to leave. Max looked back at him questioning, as Cindy disentangled herself from her, and left the building leaning against Sketchy. 

“Why did you…” She started to ask when he walked over and pulled up a chair behind her. The edge hitting her lightly behind the knees. She abruptly sat down in it next to the bed.

“Talk to him,” he said and then started for the door. “Just talk to him.” 

And then she was alone… alone with him and the slow beeping sound from the monitor. 

Another tear fell down her cheek as her eyes washed over his body. Or what she could see of it. He was covered with a blanket, a hospital gown, and bandages. Bandages were everywhere. Slowly her hand came out to his hand resting beside him. The dark purple and black spots made her wince, as she slowly, carefully, gently took it in hers.

“Alec?” his name barely came from her throat. “Can you hear me?” There was no response. “Come on… please. You can’t do this to me.” Her other hand slowly came to his head, and lightly pushed her fingers through the hair that she could touch through the bandages covering him. “You have to fight. You never left me alone before when I wanted you too. You can’t do it now.”

The only response was the constant, slow but steady heartbeat. “Come on. You have to wake up. You have to see that the plan worked. You have to see that it’s all going to be okay. You have to wake up so you can say you told me so.”

Her voice was becoming louder, a tinge of anger to it. Anger trying to mask her fear. “Damn it Alec… Don’t let me be right. Don’t let me think that I needed to stay in Terminal City to make sure you would be okay.” Her fingers gripped his a little tighter. Her others moving from his hair, to lightly trace the cuts and bruises on his cheeks, and softly over his slightly parted lips. Her skin feeling the small amount of air hitting them. 

She shook her head, “You can’t do this. It’s not fair!” She yelled at him. “Do you have any idea how angry I am at you?” She knew she was being irrational, but it didn’t matter. “I mean… how dare you? How could you have Mole drug me to take me here? Huh?” She was angry with him for it, but she knew why he did it. But it didn’t stop her now from using it. 

“And above all… How? How the hell could you tell me you loved me like that? Tell me you love me and don’t let me get to…” he voice cracked, as more tears streamed down her face. “You didn’t allow me to say it back.”

“Damn it Alec! You didn’t let me tell you how much I love you!” Sobs wracked her shoulders, “I love you… I love you and I can’t even tell you.” Her eyes closed and she buried her face in the sheet next to his arm. 

“You selfish bastard…” she yelled into the mattress. “You better not leave me. You better not give me everything I’ve ever wanted. Let me finally get a taste of happiness and then rip it away from me.” Her head lifted, her eyes looking at his unmoving form. 

Another sob hiccupped from her body. “Come on! Let me know you can at least hear me. Do something!” she screamed at him, and he did. The monitor flat lined.

“Nooooooooo!” she screamed and a rush of people ran into the room.

Two medics ran over to the bed. Mole pulled her and the chair quickly away. Max fought against his hold, screaming. 

The one tore the gown away from his chest, as the other yelled, “CLEAR,” holding out two paddles and quickly bringing them to his chest.

“Aleccc…” she screamed as her eyes watched the medics work on his lifeless body. Her arms struggling against the grip that was actually keeping her on her feet.

“CLEAR!”

Cindy hid her face in Sketchy’s coat as his hold around her tightening at each scream. Mole’s eyes and head dropped slightly as he held his firm grip on the arms of the woman screaming uncontrollably.

“CLEAR!”

They pulled the paddles away from his chest, not moving to recharge the equipment, as the line continued straight across the screen. “Time?”

“Eight, twenty…”

“Nooooooooo!” she screamed, her whole body sprung away from Mole’s grasp as she ran to the bed. They tried to pull her away, tried to tell her it was no use. But she wouldn’t listen, her body jumped onto the bed. Her fists hitting his chest. “NO!”

Her friends just stood back, shaking their heads at her. But she didn’t care, her fists pounding into him again, “You CAN’T do this! You can’t do this to me!” Her hands kept hitting him. “I love you damn it! You can’t leave me!” Her tears splashed onto his bare chest, as her fists continued in rage against him. 

“Alec…” Her fists came down again and then so did she, her face sobbing into his chest. And then she heard it under her ear, right before she heard the beep on the monitor. The room stilled. Completely quiet except for the slow beeping of the monitor, the line starting to stagger across the screen.  
_______________________________

“Careful!”

“Max… stop.”

“Don’t do that!”

“Will you knock it off?”

“I said… be careful!”

“Will you stop yelling?”

She winced, “Sorry… is that better?” She asked grabbing the pillow from his hands and arranged it behind his back, making him stop from moving. 

He rolled his eyes at her, “Will you just stop?”

“Stop what?” she asked.

He motioned with his one hand, the other in a sling. “I can move a freakin' pillow by myself.”

“You need to rest.”

He sighed, “No, what I NEED is for you to sit down here.” He pointed to the spot on her bed next to him, and she sat down. His partially good arm wrapped around her and crushed her to his chest. The side of his face resting in her hair as he continued, “And for you to relax… with me.”

She looked up into his hazel eyes, “Alec…”

His bandaged hand went to the side of her face, “Shhhh.”

She shook her head, “Don’t shhh me.” He sighed again, and she lightly poked him in the chest. “Don’t give me that. I almost lost your cocky ass! And if I want to BABY you I will!” He tried not to laugh for more than one reason, as he winced from the pain in his ribs. “See?” she said more softly. “You need to be more careful.”

“Max… you aren’t going to be like this from now on are you?”

“Be like what?” she asked looking up at him.

“All… all… mother hen.” She gave him an evil look. “Not that I don’t like you caring about me…”

She cut him off, “I more than care about you…” her hand went tenderly to his cheek, “I love you.” She then leaned up and softly kissed his lips. 

His hand intertwined with her fingers and brought them down to his chest. “I know,” he said with a more serious tone and kissed her forehead, “I know.” He then tried to lighten the air, “And so does my chest. As you decided to use it as your punching bag again.”

She could have hit him for it, and it took all her resolve not too. But she just kept the serious look on her face. “Alec… I thought I lost you…”

He tried again, “Hey, haven’t you figured it out by now that you can’t get rid of me?”

It worked, and she smiled up at him, “I beginning to get the hint.” Her fingers lightly danced over his chest. “So… I guess I’m stuck with you then huh?” His eyes danced back at her, and she couldn’t believe how happy it made her. Instead of smacking him for his cocky look at her, she just leaned up and kissed him.

A cough from behind her, made her turn around. “Just thought you’d like an update.”

“Mole. You don’t have to stand all the way over there. I’m decent,” Alec winked at him.

The man just shook his head, “No. I better not get too close. The doctors don’t want to chance getting you sick so soon.”

He rolled his eyes, “Oh NOT you too.”

“Whatever Pretty Boy. I’m just following orders.”

Max just smiled at the interaction, then asked, “So what did you have to tell us that was so important?”

She got a small evil look from the man and tried not to laugh when he called her… “Sweetheart… I was getting to that.”

“Uhh huh.”

Alec looked back and forth between the two of them, “Is there something going on here that I should know about?”

Both their eyes widened and they both replied, “GOD NO!” And he started to laugh, clutching his side as he did, her hands immediately pushing him back onto the bed, and his trying to push her away.

Mole rolled his eyes at the two of them, “As I was going to say. The comet is passing by, and some large fragments have already hit. Some took out a few trailers, some car windows. Nothing big.”

“And?” Max asked.

“A few cases of the flu here and there. Except…”

“Except?” Alec prompted.

“Except for the locations where they had already started to hand out the ‘cure’.” 

Her head dropped, and his hand squeezed hers, as Alec continued, “But other than that?”

“Other than that? Nothing. It worked.” Mole looked over at Max and pointed at her, “Now let him rest, like the doctors said. Or am I going to have to get that tranquilizer gun?”

Her eyes widened, “You wouldn’t…”

The man’s eyes danced, “You never know Sweetheart… you never know,” and with that he walked out of Max’s room and closed the door behind him.

She turned back to Alec exasperated, “That… that… man! How can you…” He just brought her head towards him and kissed her. Her furry instantly stopped from his lips. She then broke away, “Don’t try to shut me up.” Only a smile was his defense. She sighed and gently leaned her head against his shoulder, “Well I guess it worked. And they won’t ever know we saved them.”

“They’ll know. Someday… they’ll know.” His fingers held onto her more securely. “Someday everything will come out. Someday we will be able to walk outside without fear.” She snuggled closer to him. “It’s just not going to be today.”

“So time, huh? Just takes some time.”

“Yep, time heals all things.”

She smiled up at him, “Well how much time is it going to take for you to heal?”

“Why in such a rush? It is MY body.”

Her smile grew and turned seductive. “Yes it is… and mine to. And I want it back in full working order.”

Hazel pools darkened before her eyes, his voice deepened, “Oh really. Why is that?”

“So I can show you just how much I love you.”

His hand moved into the back of her hair, bringing her face to his, barely touching, “You already have, my love. You already have.” And with that his lips claimed hers once more.

**Author's Note:**

> *Yep THE END. Done! No More! Don’t ask for a sequel. It isn’t going to happen. ;) I just hope you liked it. And thank you to all of you who have reviewed so faithfully, and to those of you that will… ;) hehe


End file.
